My Captain, My Love
by inufan424
Summary: Inuyasha is captured by a pirate crew. He uses parlay to escape death, but instead it gets him time as a prisoner for their strange captain - who happens to be a woman. Over time, they form a bond that isn't easily broken...or so he thought.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Read and review, por favor! Some pirate vocab is at the bottom!

_This chapter was edited/revised Saturday, November 14, 2009. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 1**

I sat alone in the pub, fiddling with the handle of my mug. A waitress came over and offered a refill. "Can I get you another, babe?"

She was trying to look sexy and alluring, I could tell. "No thanks."

"Maybe something…_else_?" She sat on my leg and winked at me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and rubbing my back in a way I'm sure she meant to be sensual. It made my skin crawl a little bit.

I shoved her off a little. "_No_ _thanks_."

She got up and headed back to the bar, offended. I didn't care about whether she liked me or hated me at this point. If I got too drunk, I would become an ass. It was just a fact. Not that I haven't been called that before—completely alcohol free…

I got up after chugging the rest of the rum in my mug. I walked swiftly from the pub, the crisp wind from outside biting my face as I exited the stuffy bar. It was dark out, the street lamps lightly illuminating the paths. I headed towards the docks. I could make out the dark outlines of a few ships. I chose one I liked, and crept slowly on board.

This small action, little did I know at the time, would be one of the worst mistakes of my life.

I walked quietly on the deck, trying to blindly find my way to the cargo hold. I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard footsteps—that weren't mine.

"Hey! You there!"

I turned and ran back towards the plank that connected the ship to the dock. I leaped onto the wooden dock, my heavy boots making a rather loud rattle as I landed, and continued running back through town. The man—along with a few of his buddies—was hot on my trail. I then looked up from behind me and noticed I was about to enter some woods. I dodged through the trees that zigzagged back and forth. This slowed me a bit. I leaped to hide in the tree tops by grabbing a branch, thinking I could reach a low one.

I was quite wrong.

I gripped a thin, weak branch that snapped almost instantly under my weight. I fell and landed swiftly on my feet. This put me in the position of either running as fast as I could to hopefully make an escape, or surrender to my pursuers; I chose running. I started again, the men close behind. I ran into a dead end—a cliff dive or surrender? I glanced over the edge to judge the distance.

Surrender it is. Damn.

I turned to face my chasers. They were all somewhat burly men, dressed in a way that confused me. _They couldn't possibly be military men…could they?_ I, myself, was a pirate who had been kicked off his ship. _Marooned_, I guess you could call it. I was floating from town to town by hiding in the holds of several ships, hoping to find a pirate ship or captain willing to take me with him. I hadn't had any luck.

I examined them more closely, and it hit me.

_They were pirates._

One of the larger ones—the one who had seen me on the deck—stepped forward, dagger at the ready.

I thought quickly. When the pirate was about to stab me then spin me around to slit my throat, I remembered something.

"Parley!" I yelled.

"_Parley?_" the pirate repeated, asking in disbelief. I nodded frantically. "If you insist…"

_Why does he sound so skeptical?_

I was taken roughly by the arm, the burly pirate nearly dragging me back the direction from which I had worked so hard to escape from. I looked around and studied the other pirates that seemed to be under the command of the one gripping my arm. Maybe he was the captain…

No, he couldn't be. I wouldn't be getting dragged through the woods if he was. I would probably be dead by now, instead. Thank god he wasn't the captain. Possibly the quartermaster?

The others all seemed so disregarded compared to him. They all made sure to keep a pace or two behind him, never daring to go ahead. He even kept me from going the same pace as him. I was annoyed by this, but I didn't really care seeing as how the faster I went, the closer to my death I could be getting. Hopefully this captain believed in mercy.

We approached the ship and I was pulled onto it. I was directed to the captain's cabin, where I was to wait inside without moving or saying or touching anything. I looked up when a woman came into the cabin. She wasn't sore to look at, I guess you could say. I was curious as to why she wore breeches and a loose shirt that had a _rather_ low neck line, rather than the usual dress I was so used to seeing. She even wore sturdy boots. A dagger was in a sheath on her belt and a cutlass swung loosely at her side. I noticed a pistol or two hanging in pouches, also attached to her waist.

Was _she_ a pirate? This broke the code of piracy on my last ship. It stated that no women where allowed on the ship. They, apparently, had no problem with it.

Neither did I, for that matter. I was, after all, a ruthless pirate who didn't avoid women…that could be putting it lightly. But lately they all disgusted me. Weird…this one didn't have that same effect. Quite the opposite, actually.

"Well, I see they don't mind having a wench aboard," I said, smirking. I eyed her up and down. She looked up and stared straight at me. If looks could kill, I'd be long gone by now. It almost felt like she was trying to burn a hole through my skull.

"_What_ did you just call me?"

"Why do you care? I'm sure you're used to it by now—"

She slapped me hard against my cheek. It throbbed in pain. I put a hand to my spot in disbelief.

"For your information," she said in an acidic tone, "I am _never_ called that. I am the captain of this vessel. If a crewmate called me that, I would not take kindly to him at all whatsoever. You'd best learn your place, _sir_."

I couldn't help myself though. I was an idiot…and a man.

I laughed.

"What the _hell_ are you laughing at?" she demanded angrily.

"My apologies," I began, unable to hide the sarcasm, "but it seems a bit unlikely that a _woman_ is the captain."

"Oh, so you're not only a pig, but you're sexist!" She turned away for a moment, furious.

"Hey! I was just pointing out that I've never heard of a _woman_ as a captain! At least not one that was respected to any degree!"

"Well, you are _mistaken_. Not only am I the captain and a _woman_, I am very highly respected by my crew!" I was pulling on every string of patience she had.

"Ex_cuse_ me! My mistake!"

She huffed, frustrated. "Why am I even arguing with a low-life like _you_? You were brought here to me…by an exclamation of parley? Is that correct?"

I nodded.

"Well, go ahead. Start negotiating. _Convince_ me not to kill you." She smiled a small, devilish smile. It was even slightly seductive, like she was trying to tease me. It was working a little…

NO. Back to negotiating! Do not want to die!

"What if I made you…an offer?" I was grasping at straws here…

"What kind of offer?" she asked; humoring me, I'm sure.

"My freedom in exchange for…whatever you want?"

"What if you can't get me what I want?"

"What do you want?" I asked warily.

"Never mind…it would never work. _You_ wouldn't be able to do it; we'll leave it at that. Give me a new idea."

I thought. Was she trying to imply that _I_, a brave pirate, couldn't _do_ it?!

"Hold on! What do you want? You have no idea what I'm capable of!"

"If you're so _capable_, then why are you aboard my ship, so close to your death?" she asked. She got me there. Damn it.

I thought for a moment. What was I going to do?

"How about this," she said. "I kill you now, or you become my slave and promise to do whatever I ask for, hmm, let's say…ten years?"

"Ten years!" I exclaimed in disbelief. There was no way.

"Mmhmm." She wore a satisfied smile on her face. Perhaps she was hoping I would decline and she could kill me.

"Not gonna happen!"

"Then you want to die? That would be more fun at the moment…but not in the long run…," she mused, more to herself than to me.

"One year," I bargained.

"Eight."

"Two."

"Seven."

"Three."

"Five."

I paused…could I go any lower than that? "Four."

"Five!"

"Four and one month!"

"Five."

"Four and a quarter."

"Five."

"Four and a half?"

"_Five_."

"Four and three quarters?"

"Five."

"Four and…and…"

"Five," she said again, a wicked grin spreading across her lips.

I sighed, defeated. "Five…?"

"Agreed!" she exclaimed cheerfully. She turned around and bent over to reveal a rather nice behind in her tight breeches. I sat quietly, enjoying the view. She turned and set down a scroll, a pen, and a bottle of ink. "Now, sign here." She pointed to a spot below another's signature.

"What's this?"

"It's what you're going to sign so that my crew and I don't kill you…can't kill you, rather."

"Why do I need to sign this?"

"Well, duh! You need to agree to my code of piracy!" She was one of the strangest and most out-of-her-mind women I had ever met. Talk about mood swings…

I unrolled the scroll to reveal a list of articles referring to her code of piracy. It was a bit different than the one I had learned on my old ship, but relatively similar. Below the articles were several dozen lines, some with signatures on them. I studied them carefully. Then I looked back at the articles.

_I. __Every man has a vote in affairs of moment; has equal title to the fresh provisions, or strong liquors, at any time seized, and may use them at pleasure, unless a scarcity (no uncommon thing among them) makes it necessary, for the good of all, to vote a retrenchment._

_II. Every man to be called fairly in turn, by list, on board of prizes because, (over and above their proper share) they were on these occasions allowed a shift of clothes: but if they defrauded the company to the value of a dollar in plate, jewels, or money, marooning is their punishment._

_III. No person to game at cards or dice for money._

_IV. The lights and candles to be put out at eight o'clock at night: if any of the crew, after that hour still remained inclined for drinking, they were to do it on the open deck._

_V. Each must keep their piece, pistols, and cutlass clean and fit for service._

_VI. No women outside of those of the crew shall be allowed aboard, unless spoken otherwise by the captain._

_VII. To desert the ship or their quarters in battle is punishable by death or marooning._

_VIII. No striking one another on board, but every man's quarrels to be ended on shore, at sword and pistol._

_IX. No man to talk of breaking up their way of living, till each had shared one thousand pounds. If in order to this, any man should lose a limb, or become a cripple in their service, he is to have eight hundred dollars, out of the public stock, and for lesser hurts, proportionately._

_X. The captain and quartermaster to receive two shares of a prize: the master, boatswain, and gunner, one share and a half, and other officers one and quarter._

_XI. The musicians to have rest on the Sabbath Day, but the other six days and nights, none without special favour._

_XII. All members aboard the ship shall respect their captain. If one does otherwise, they shall be punished accordingly, by marooning or death. _

I looked up at her. She watched me, impatient. She had crossed her arms and began tapping her foot against the wooden planks that made up the floor.

"Are you going to sign it or not?"

I didn't say anything.

"I think I should just kill you. I am very busy and I would like to set sail, but I would really rather not get blood all over my finely swabbed deck and have a corpse aboard." She reached for her pistol. Then she changed her mind and grabbed her dagger from its pocket.

"Wait! I was just thinking how closely worded these articles are to that of my previous captain."

"And? If I were you, I would sign that quickly. It's either that or I…" She trailed off, a look of thought across her face. "I could let you suffer a bit. Not let you be fed, keep you in the brig forever—or better! The bilge! Let you have a few battles with the rats! That would be far better punishment than instant death."

"Alright! If I sign, I won't have to stay in the bilge?"

"Sure, why not." This woman belonged in a loony-bin!

I quickly unscrewed the ink bottle top and dipped the tip of the quill pen into it. I slowly lowered my hand to the next available line. I signed my name messily and set the pen down.

"There, you happy now?"

"More than you know!"

She picked up the pen and put it away. She went to lift the scroll when she began studying my signature. "What's your name?"

"Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha what?"

"Taisho."

"Oh."

"What's your name?"

She looked up, surprised. "Pardon?"

"What's your name?" I repeated.

"Well, you are to call me Captain Higurashi, but my name is Kagome."

I'll just state right away that I had no intentions of calling her "captain."

"Should the word _wench_ ever be uttered from your lips in the next five years," she continued in a threatening tone, "you will get a fine taste of the cat."

"Yes, ma'am." I shuddered at the thought. I had never been flogged before, and just the threat made me nervous.

"Now, you will stay in the brig…for now."

_For now?_ What did that mean? Where else would I be kept? Hopefully not the bilge…

She escorted me into the dark brig, walking down the creaky steps after me and hanging her lantern on a nail. "What cell would you like? I figure you'll be down here a while, might as well get to choose."

I walked into the nearest cell and turned around on my heel to face her. She closed the door and locked it, and then I noticed she'd taken the single key from her cleavage. _I knew there was another reason for those to be there!_

She looked up at me and had a rather angry look on her face. She'd caught me looking at her chest. Before I could explain, she grabbed the lantern off the nail, instead of leaving it down here where it would have helped keep the rats at bay.

"If you're going to be like that, then you won't have any light! Have fun, _sweet dreams_." The room went pitch black. I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. If women don't want you to look, then why flaunt it? They know how men are…!

So, this is how I got into this mess. Sitting in a dark, rat-infested brig of a pirate ship. I listened to the commands she yelled above, slightly muffled through the wood and the scurrying sound from the rats.

"All hands on deck!"

I heard the heaving of heavy boots come from all directions.

"Alright, men. We've acquired ourselves a prisoner for five years."

I could heard some murmurs of reaction.

"Quiet down! Now, we've got to plan out our next course. But first, I need to make a stop in Tortuga. Where's my sail master?"

A few footsteps were taken, presumably by the sail master.

"Yes, Captain?" questioned a man's voice.

"I want to set sail as soon as possible. Set the course for Tortuga."

"Aye, Captain."

"Men, to your stations! We must go quickly and quietly!"

The men scattered in every direction. I could hear the sound of an anchor being hauled up. Not long after the order was given, I could feel the movement of the ship beneath me.

Tortuga. A pirate city, no less. Either she wanted to restock, or she had another agenda that was important.

After adjusting to the movement of the swaying ship, I walked blindly around my cell. I felt around to see if there was anything to sit on besides the floor. I wanted to get as far from those damn rats as possible. The ship suddenly jerked and I fell forward, hitting my head hard on an empty wooden crate. I felt the blood trickle down my forehead just before I fell unconscious.

* * *

**A/N: **So, me mateys, what did you think?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha, and many of the articles from Kagome's code of piracy are from the code of the infamous Bartholomew Roberts, a real pirate. (Better known as Black Bart.)

_Some vocabulary for those of you who may have been confused__**:**_

**Marooned** - to be put ashore and abandoned on a desolate island or coast by way of punishment

**Parley **(usually incorrectly spelled _parlay_) - conference or discussion between opposing sides during a dispute

**Quartermaster** (in pirate terms, not military)- like pirate captains, they were usually elected by their crews. It was the quartermaster's responsibility to lead the pirate boarding party when coming aboard another ship. This was usually done from the quarter deck which was the place where two ships touched during the boarding attack. The quartermaster ranked higher than any officer aboard the ship except the captain himself, and could veto the captain's decisions whenever the ship was not chasing a prize or engaged in battle. The quartermaster also was chiefly responsible for discipline, assessing punishments for crewmen who transgressed the articles. (thank you Wikipedia!)

**Cutlass** - type of sword used by mainly sailors; has a straight or slightly curved blade, sharp on only one side, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket shaped guard

**Code of Piracy** - code of conduct used for governing pirates; generally each pirate crew had its own code or articles, which provided rules for discipline, division of stolen goods, and compensation for injured pirates

**Bilge** - the lowest compartment of a ship where the two sides meet; bilge may also be used to refer to the water that collects there, which is noxious and may contain water, oil, urine, detergents, solvents, chemicals, pitch, particles, and so forth; when water does not drain off the side of the deck, it leaks down to this compartment, and may be from rough seas, rain, or minor leaks in the hull. This water must be removed if the compartment becomes too full, threatening to sink the ship

**The cat** - the cat-o-nine-tails was a type of whip; it had nine metal-tipped whips that were joined in one handle

**Flogged** - another word for _whipped_

**Tortuga** _(__I did not steal this from POTC!__)_- a Caribbean island that is part of Haiti, off the northwest coast of Hispaniola. It was first discovered by Christopher Columbus, a Spanish explorer, and he named it "Tortuga" (Spanish for_ turtle_) because it was shaped like a turtle. In the 17th century, it was a major center for Caribbean piracy. _(if you want to know more about it, there's a great bit of history about it on Wikipedia)_

I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. I love pirates! Please review! TTFN!


	2. Chapter 2

_This chapter was edited/revised Saturday, November 14, 2009. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 2**

"How long until we reach Tortuga?"

"About two days."

The woman's voice—Kagome—sighed and I could hear footsteps go past me.

Where am I? Last thing I remember I was in a cell, in the brig and I…

I hit my head and got knocked out. And she found me. _Great…I'll never live this one down. Oh, I can hear her making fun of me now…_

Now, let's focus. Eyes, _open_.

Come on…open!

…_Please?_

_Why can't I open my damn eyes?_ Did the wench do something to me…? Or maybe it's just a side-effect of cracking my head open?

Speaking of which…My head was fixed. I could feel the pressure from the cloths wrapped around my head. Perhaps she isn't so evil—

"When is this idiot gonna wake up?" she whined. Spoke too soon, I see.

I tried to talk, but all that came out was a strangled, wheezing groan. I could feel her eyes on me.

Then I could feel the heavy steps across the wooden deck, and someone stopped next to me, kneeling down and resting an elbow on the bed I lay on.

"So, you're conscious. That means you can hear me."

Oh, let the taunting and misery begin.

"I see you can't even get your sea legs after being on a ship for less then an hour. What kind of sailor are you?"

I attempted using my voice again, and, to my surprise, it worked. "Not a sailor. Pirate."

I cracked my eyes open, the dull light of the room filling my vision. I turned my head—which turned out to be a bad idea, due to a pain that shot through the side of my head and throbbed—and focused on her face, about a foot away from mine. Her eyebrows were raised in obvious shock at my sudden ability to speak and move at will.

"It wasn't my fault. Your ship isn't exactly graceful on the water."

She was taken aback by the comment. Every captain had an amount of pride in their ship, and she was no exception.

"Excuse me? I clean up your bloody head and let you lay there uselessly in _my_ cabin and in _my_ bed and you return the favor by insulting my ship?"

"Apparently."

She raised one eyebrow now, clearly annoyed. Her lips pulled into a tight pout and she breathed deeply through her nose. "I should have just let you die. Or better yet, I should have killed you myself yesterday, when I had the chance."

"I'm wide open."

"You think I'm that much of an idiot? That I would break my own code of piracy for the mere pleasure of ridding my life of an annoyance?"

"Well, you never know. Lot of strange—and stupid—people in the world these days."

"What are you saying? That you think I'm stupid? And strange?"

"Well, you aren't exactly the epitome of normal, if that's what you're asking."

"And you think I'm stupid, too."

"I never said that."

"But you thought it."

"How would you know?"

"I can read it in your face."

"Oh, so now you're an expert in human thoughts and emotions?"

I may have gone a step too far on that one. Her eyes flickered with an emotion that could only be described as regretful hurt, and she turned her head towards the other man that I realized was in the room, witnessing, in fascination, our conversation.

"What are you staring at?" she asked the man harshly.

"N-nothing, Captain."

"You sure?"

The man hesitated before answering. "I was just wondering why you would allow such a low-life to speak to you in such a rude manner, Captain."

Her face softened a fraction. "That's a good question. I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you. You've finished setting our course, right?" The man nodded hastily. "Go back and take over the helm, then."

"Aye, Captain."

This guy seemed like a bit of a kiss-up. He rushed out of the room—the captain's quarters—and didn't even look back. He acted as if this woman scared him to death. What was so scary about her?

She turned her attention back to me. She looked me over and stood, smoothing out her pants where they had bunched-up on her thighs. I watched her. I looked her up and down again, getting a closer look than I had yesterday—was it yesterday? How long had I been out?

As I studied her, I noticed how beautiful she really was; even though she was a pirate, her skin was smooth and creamy, instead of rough and sun-damaged. Her hair had a soft curl to it, rather than a messy, wind-blown frizz. She looked at me then, and I didn't realize I was just staring at her almost angelic face. I must not have noticed the beauty through all the crazy.

"What?"

"Nothing. How long was I out for?"

"Not that long. When I found you on the floor, the blood was still wet, so you couldn't have been knocked out for more than an hour or two. That was about four this morning and it's nearly sunset now…"

"Oh."

"Why _do_ you talk to me like you do, anyway?"

I smiled, hoping it looked mocking. "What, did I hurt your feelings?"

She glared. "No. I just thought that you would treat your new captain with a little respect, or at least have the decency not to insult me after I helped you."

"Well, that's how I was raised."

"What? To be an ass?"

"No. Not to let other people condescend me."

"I'm gonna stick with my own theory, since they're pretty much the same thing."

"No, they aren't."

"Yes, they are."

"Nope. They're very different. Your theory entails that I do it on purpose. My theory—the _truth_—doesn't necessarily mean I have to be an ass."

"Then what are you? You certainly aren't a saint."

"Never said I was. I don't know what that makes me."

She looked at me, her hand coming to her chin in thoughtfulness and her head tilting slightly to the side. A rather cute pose on her…

"I think it makes you…guarded."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't show anyone what you really feel. You put up this wall and no one can get over it, no matter how hard they try."

"What are you, a psychiatrist-gone-bad?"

"No. I told you, I'm good at this sort of thing."

"What if someone doesn't want to know what's wrong with them?" I asked bitterly.

She let her hand go limp to her side and straightened up. "I never said that it was a defect. I just said that you don't let anyone see how you really feel about things."

"Keh."

"I've had just about enough of your rudeness. You asked me."

"Actually, you asked me and I told you I didn't know. Then you told me what you thought. Never did I ask you."

"Get out of my bed."

I smiled. Oh, all the things I could—wanted—to say.

She raised her eyebrows in a warning, so I reluctantly kept my mouth shut. I stood up, but everything got blurry and I felt dizzy, so I fell back down clumsily onto her bed. She shook her head, at first trying to hide her laughter, but then giving up and letting it bubble out of her mouth.

I smiled sheepishly as I listened to her pleasant laugh, its sound more beautiful than any other I'd ever heard. When she contained herself, she held out a hand and I took it.

I cherished the short time I was able to touch her velvety skin as she gripped my hand and helped me stand steadily. I towered over her, the top of her head only coming up to my chin. I could smell her, too. A sweet, almost flowery scent. That, I didn't expect, what with her she-devil personality.

Well, that's not entirely true. She isn't as bad as I thought.

"Now, go out and talk to the man at the helm. He'll give you your instructions."

"What, that guy that was in here before? The little wimp?"

"Be _nice_."

"Be nice," I mimicked. She pushed me towards the door.

"I mean it. Any rudeness that I hear about and you'll have the wonderful duty of cleaning out the bilges every day."

"Yes, ma'am."

"It's 'Captain.' Remember?"

"Ah, yes. Captain. Kagome, I prefer."

"It's not a choice."

"What a shame, _Kagome._ Such a pretty name," I teased.

"Well…what was it? Jackass?"

"Inuyasha."

"Right. Jackass. Get out and go to work. It will be a long five years, if you keep this up."

"Later, Kagome."

"Captain. _Cap-tain_. Get it through your thick head!" I was laughing as I left her cabin, blinking as I stepped out and the familiar smell of the salty, sea air invaded my senses. I inhaled deeply, relishing in the scent that I'd grown to love.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**_ !!!_More pirate vocabulary at the bottom! I recommend reading it_!!!_

_This chapter was edited/revised Sunday, December 27, 2009. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 3**

As I walked out to the helm, I saw the stupid kiss-up that had been in the cabin, standing tall as if it were such an honor to be steering this godforsaken ship.

"Hey, you. Asswipe. What am I supposed to do?"

The man turned his head at the sound of my voice and the ship jerked slightly. Moron. "You will address me as Miroku, not 'you,' and especially not 'asswipe.' You are to…hmm…"

"Come on, I ain't got all day."

"Go and…swab the lower deck. Then do all the upper decks. Once you're finished, tell me and I'll give you more work."

Oh, joy. Swabbing the deck. _Real_ original.

"And where, exactly, is the mop and bucket?"

The man—Miroku…I much prefer Asswipe—sighed, as if it were the stupidest question in the world. "In the hold. Left side. Right by the foot of the steps, you can't miss them."

I turned on my heel and made my way to the hold. Ironic, really. Trying to get into that room is what got me into this mess.

I found the mop and bucket—which were on the right side, _not_ the left—and went back up the stairs. As I looked back to the helm, and instead of Miroku, I saw Kagome.

She held her head high and I could see her inhaling the breeze, just as I had before. She steered with perfect precision, keeping the ship in a straight, set course. She was a skilled helmsman—or helmswoman?—I'd give her that much.

She looked down at the deck where I stood, her faint smile vanishing into a scowl. "What? Get to work!"

Sneering at her, I quickly immerged from my thoughts and remembered my job. As I plunged the ratty mop into the water of the bucket, I began the tedious task of swabbing a deck. I'd had just about enough of this on my last ship…

Several hours later, hands blistered, red, and sore, I started on the last bit of upper deck. The deck around the captain's cabin.

As I started moving the mop around on the wood in the steady rhythm I'd developed, I looked up to see Kagome, no longer at the helm, staring at me, her head tilted to the side.

"What? See somethin' you like?" I put on my arrogant half smile and she blinked, straightening her head.

"Not at all. Just…watching."

"Well, it ain't exactly a song and dance kind of show. Nothing interesting about it."

"Oh, but you're wrong."

"Heh. Whatever you say."

"You may not realize it, but there's a certain…grace about the steady movement. Not at all like Miroku when he has to do the chore."

"Oh, so he's usually your cleaning service? No wonder he was so excited about steering the helm."

"Yes, I suppose. He's also my sail master, so I have no choice but to interact with him. I mostly make him swab for his…well, I won't go into detail, but bottom line, he's a pervert."

"Ah. I thought there was something…off about him."

"Well, I guess you could put it that way. I must admit, he was quite upset when he explained to me that little name you called him. What was it again?"

I couldn't help but laugh. Can't even take a little name, can he? "Asswipe."

Even she laughed a little, but tried to hide it. "Yes, that was it. Did you not hear a _word_ I said about respecting my crew?"

"Oh, what's one little name? It wasn't that bad. It just matched his attitude."

"Well, in his case, I won't do anything to you, but if you do such a thing to my quartermaster…you won't be in the brig any longer. You're just lucky he can't kill you…on purpose."

On purpose? Yep, big guy was definitely quartermaster. "Ooh, scary." I added a lisp, to emphasize how truly _terrified_ I was.

"You say that now but…wait till you meet—oh, you've already met him, I suppose. You know, he was a little big compared to the rest…"

"Oh, yeah. We definitely…met. He was pretty shocked when I yelled 'parley' in his face."

"Yes, he told me about your strange sudden outburst. Do you ever regret saying it?"

"Nope."

"That's it? Just '_nope'_?"

"Yep."

"You don't even regret it just a little? I mean, look where you ended up…"

"It isn't so bad…entertaining, really."

"Oh, so you think of this as your entertainment? You're sadly mistaken on that, I'm afraid. Just you wait."

"Is that a threat, _dear Captain_?"

"You—"

"Captain!"

She jerked her head towards the direction of the voice. "Yes, what is it, Shippo?"

He was a shorter, red-headed boy. His frizzy orange hair was pulled into a small, puffy pony tail and he looked like he was still in his early teen years. "An enemy ship has been spotted on the horizon!"

"Ah, shoot. Who is it, can you tell?"

The boy's face went grim. "Yes. It's him…"

Kagome's face suddenly went pale, her expression bordering terrified.

"What is it, Kagome?" I asked.

"This is not good…very bad…," she murmured, more to herself than to anyone particular. She suddenly snapped her head up to look at me. She had a serious expression on her face. "You can fight, correct?"

"Of course." I was actually quite skilled.

"Come with me." I followed her to the hold and she tore the top off of a wooden crate. She began pulling things from it—extra bullets, some daggers, two swords…

She handed me one of the swords—a cutlass, of course—and then two daggers and a pistol. She pulled out a pocket for me and I attached it to my belt, shoving a dagger inside. I slide one into my boot and put the pistol into another pocket. She wasn't even looking at me when she pulled these things out. She suddenly draped something over my shoulder, and I recognized them as bullets. She draped another over her own shoulder and shoved two knives into her boot—one dagger and one dirk.

"Are you ready? Do you have anything else you are particularly skilled with that I haven't given you?" She was completely serious. She would give me any weapon I asked for. "Oh!"

She dug in the crate more and took out two bucklers, one small and the other larger. She handed the larger one to me. I gripped it skillfully in my left hand and she did the same, getting used to the feel of the cold metal beneath her fingers.

"Anything else?"

"Nope, this is all I need." I held up the cutlass.

"You obviously haven't encountered this pirate…"

"Who is it?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but the boy—Shippo, I guess was his name—interrupted again. "Captain, he's nearly here!"

Kagome rushed past me and up the stairs. She paused halfway and ducked her head so she could meet my eyes. "Are you coming or not?"

I quickly caught up with her and reached the suddenly grim deck of her ship. Most of the crew was on board, each armed with a montage of weaponry. I looked to Kagome, who had an eyeglass out, pointed in the direction of a ship. It was approaching quickly and I got excited pangs in my stomach.

I loved to fight.

She suddenly began shouting commands. "Arm the cannons! Release the sails!"

"Release the sails, Captain?"

"We're gonna meet this bastard head on. Make sure you know where a pair of boots is…he's bound to pull some dirty tricks with the caltrops…Inuyasha!"

I stepped out onto the deck from the doorway to the hold. "Yeah?"

She eyed me at my lack of use of her title. "Are you ready? You sure you can handle this?"

"Of course. What do you take me for? I've been a pirate all my life."

"Just checking."

"Are _you_ ready?" I asked her. She looked almost queasy.

She looked at me, her eyes fearful. "I hope so."

* * *

**A/N:** _Some more pirate vocabulary:_

**Helm** **- **the entire steering apparatus of a ship

**Dagger -** a short, sword-like weapon with a pointed blade and a handle, used for stabbing

**Pistol -** a short firearm intended to be held and fired with one hand

**Dirk -** a short dagger

**Buckler -** a round shield held by a grip and sometimes having straps through which the arm is passed

**Caltrop -** an iron ball with four projecting spikes so disposed that when the ball is on the ground one of them always points upward


	4. Chapter 4

_This chapter was edited/revised Saturday, February 6, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 4**

"Brace yourselves, men!" Kagome shouted. The new ship, dark and ominous, was approaching at an incredible speed.

"Kagome."

She glanced over at me. "What is it now, Taisho?"

"Who is this pirate that you fear so much?"

She paled, ducking her head so that her features were shadowed by her hair. "His name is…_Naraku_. He's the worst pirate captain I've ever met, and he…holds something against me."

"What kind of something?"

"I don't have time to explain right now. I'll tell you another time…if there is one."

"Why are you so sure that we won't defeat him?"

"Because. Have you ever noticed how small my crew is?"

I looked at her quizzically. "Now that you mention it, yeah."

"That's not just because it's incredibly difficult to find men who'll follow me—for obvious reasons," she muttered darkly. "It's because many of them die whenever we encounter _him_. We are left with barely enough to sail the ship, and most of us become injured."

I studied her. "Have _you_ ever been injured by him?" I asked slowly.

Her voice lowered so much I had to strain to hear her. "More than you know."

I thought it best to stop talking now, since she looked almost on the verge of tears, though I knew she was too proud to let any of them fall—in front of any of us, that is.

I looked around the dark ship approaching us, its course veering to the left to align the cannons with the side of our ship. I had a feeling that this was no pirate to be messing with; he was serious and he meant to do severe damage to Kagome and her ship. I couldn't help but wonder what this man could have possibly done to make Kagome fear him so much.

I was starting to see some of the strange, creepy characters that made up this Naraku's crew. One was nothing but a short boy, but with a pinkish-white head of hair and purplish eyes—no pupils. His hair was long and his skin was pale.

He didn't look like much, but I knew not to judge strength by appearances. I didn't have time to look closely at other members of his crew; the next thing I knew, we were seeing grappling hooks tossed at our ship and some of the crew was already in combat.

I walked forward slowly, looking for a worthy opponent. I looked out of the corner of my eye to see Kagome, her hands trembling, her stare fixed on someone across the ship. I followed her gaze and saw a pair of red eyes. His pupils were startlingly white. He had long, greasy black hair. He stared at Kagome, an evil smirk on his thin, wicked lips.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I realized Kagome was speaking to no one and standing still. I listened carefully as she repeated the same phrase over and over.

"_Licentia meus caput capitis. Commodo. Licentia meus caput capitis_…"

I recognized that she was speaking Latin. How strange…what did it mean?

She repeated it, never lifting her terrified gaze from the man. I wanted to shake her out of this hypnotic state, but I was afraid to touch her. I slowly approached her, but it was as if there was a force field around her, preventing any one from being within a foot from her. I could see tears welling up in her eyes, waiting to be allowed to flow as freely as the sea beneath us.

"Kagome," I said, then more firmly, "Kagome! Snap out of it!"

She didn't even glance in my direction. I swiftly turned and held up my cutlass, deflecting a blow from a surprisingly scrawny man. The ringing of metal against metal filled the air around me, as if all else had gone silent. I felt the vibration from the force flow through my arms. The man sneered and pulled pout a dagger, which he intended to stab me with.

He thrust the knife forward, aiming for my gut, but I angled my body to the side; I winced in pain as he skimmed my side. I looked down to see blood slowly staining my loose white shirt. I took advantage when the man smiled—did he think he'd win so easily?—and looked to the side to exchange a confident look with his fellow pirate. His face was wiped clean of victory and turned to shock as he looked down at my cutlass sticking into his stomach. I grunted as I extracted it and let him fall to the ground, allowing him to die slowly with his blood staining the deck. Presumptuous bastard.

I looked back to see Kagome curled up on the ground in the fetal position, still chanting the same thing.

"_Licentia meus caput capitis. Licentia meus caput capitis. Commodo licentia meus caput capitis_…_"_

I leaned down and reached my hand out. I forced myself to touch her shoulder. It almost hurt to come within the barrier that surrounded her. I let my hand rest on her shoulder and she gasped, looking up and turning her head. Her eyes were impossibly wide and confused, as if I'd just woken her from a nightmare—which, I had a feeling, was a pretty accurate description.

"Kagome…?" I asked hesitantly.

"Inu…Inuyasha?" she whispered.

"It's me," I reassured her. "Are you alright?"

"What…what happened? Where am I?"

"You're on the deck of your ship…you looked like you were hypnotized," I told her, and I watched in confusion as her eyes filled with anger. "Can you still fight?"

She nodded her head slightly, as if she were asking herself the same question.

I stood up and held out a hand. She slowly slid hers into mine and I lifted her to her feet with ease.

"Where is he?" she demanded, her anger returned.

"Who?"

"_Naraku_."

"I don't know. What does he look like?" I asked, even though I had a feeling I already knew.

She looked at me, the same fear stricken into her eyes again.

"You know what, never mind," I said. There was no way she was ready to fight. She'd probably die of panic and terror before she even reached the guy. "I'm going aboard their ship. You stay here."

"No…you can't!" she said.

"Why not? You certainly don't seem in any condition to go."

I could tell she had already given up the argument. Good girl. "Just make sure you return."

"Don't want to lose your slave, eh?" I jibed.

"No, don't want you to suffer as _his_ slave." She was blushing.

"How sweet," I said sarcastically.

"Just go. Suffer! See if I give a damn if you don't come back."

"Relax, I'll come back," I said lightly. She rolled her eyes at my confidence.

She turned away from me and began fighting the enemy who had tried to attack her from behind.

If I didn't know any better, I'd have said she cared about what happened to me.

I took the end of a grappling hook that had been thrown to Kagome's ship and pulled it up. I swung it back over and climbed across it, stepping onto the hellish ship that Kagome feared so much.

I found a worthy target and spun him around to stab him. He fell like a rock and I turned around to meet the thin-bladed sword of another. I looked past the blade to see the red-eyed glare of a...woman?

What's with all these strange, hateful women? They just popped up everywhere these days.

She had her hair pulled back with two white feathers in it. Her lips were painted red and her eyes lined in pink. Her fierce expression told me that she wasn't one to mess with.

I reached for my dagger but she quickly moved and a sudden over-powering gust of wind made me stumble backward. She smirked, as if she'd done it herself, and I straightened up, meeting her sword with mine again.

"So Kagome's not the only woman pirate around, I see," I said conversationally, although my voice was strained as I kept up with her quick blows with some difficulty.

"Shut up and fight," she growled. "You may actually be a worthy opponent."

"Keh."

She moved her sword quickly and smoothly, each blow strangely graceful.

"What are you people?" I asked, convinced this crew was far from human.

"We're pirates, you moron. What else?"

"But you can't possibly be human."

"Why not?"

"You have a kid fighting for you, and from what I've seen, he's not even scratched yet!"

"Well trained." She spun and tried to slice me through the midsection.

I jumped back and narrowly avoided her blade. "Not buying it."

I swung the cutlass and she met my blow. How is that tiny sword so strong?

"You're a smart one, aren't you?" she mulled with an amused smirk.

"So what are you then?"

"Naraku's creations."

"Creations? What the hell does that mean?"

"You clearly have no manners in front of a lady."

"I'm a pirate, not an English gentleman."

"Clearly," she said with distaste. "It means he created us. Maybe you aren't so bright, after all…"

"Thanks, Captain Obvious. _How_?"

"He's a very powerful man."

"You're really no help."

"Sorry to inconvenience you, but you're an inconvenience to _me_."

We continued the fight until I heard some shouting. Kagome had boarded this ship. The one she'd been shaking in her boots about just knowing it was coming. Great, now I have to make sure she doesn't die. Another thing on the to-do list…

The woman took advantage of my distraction and stabbed my shoulder. I yelped in pain and clutched it, the blood seeping through my fingers. She smirked.

I narrowed my eyes and did what she least expected; I laughed.

"What is so funny?" she demanded.

"I wouldn't do a victory dance just yet."

She was confused and she titled her head slightly, trying to figure out what I meant, I slowly reached into my boot and then, in one swift movement, I whipped it out and slashed her against the stomach. She doubled over, her eyes wide.

"Told you not to celebrate, wench." I was feeling risky, so I added the name, to see her reaction. Not my brightest idea.

She screeched an inhuman noise that had me covering my ears, and took a dagger that had been strapped to her thigh—I then noticed she wasn't exactly dressed for a fight. She wore a kimono with flowers all over it and she was barefoot.

She lunged at me with the knife, brushing a thin cut on my cheek. It would have plunged into my forehead, had I not moved.

"You insolent fool!" she shouted, her breathing heavy and strained.

She was then surprised again when I cut her shoulder with my sword. A hand moved from her stomach to her shoulder. She inspected the wound, and then it was her turn to surprise me. She pulled a feather from her hair and threw it down, sending a heavy gust of wind over the deck. There was suddenly a giant feather with her sitting on it, and she spun upward and away. I frowned.

I looked for Kagome, only to see her making her way through a throng of crew members towards the wicked man with red eyes I'd seen before. Her movements were quick and strong, making sure each man went down with a single blow.

I raced past her, and then I noticed the fury in her eyes when she saw me. I would get to that man first, whether she liked it or not. And that was a promise.


	5. Chapter 5

_This chapter was edited/revised Saturday, February 6, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

_Licentia meus caput capitis - Leave my head.  
Commodo - Please._

**Chapter 5**

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled furiously. "Get back here! Stop!"

I didn't look back. If I did, I might not be able to keep going. Instead, I kept pushing and shoving my way through the immense number of 'men' that lay before me. I realized that some were actually human, but many weren't.

I was about eight men away from the wicked man, when I heard a loud, echoing laugh fill the air.

"_Fool_," said the voice. I looked up to see it was the man who was the leader of this chaos—Naraku.

I finished off the men in four swift, strong swings and I was standing before the man, standing on a pedestal as if he thought he was far greater than everyone.

"Are you Naraku?" I asked. Well…I had to make sure it was the right guy, right?

The man straightened out his features and stared me down, and it almost felt as if I were burning. The wind howled wildly around me, rocking the ship madly.

"_Who are you_?" said the man, his oily, slick voice filled with disgust.

"Inuyasha. Now answer my question."

"Yes, I am Naraku. You dare to come up against me, you mere human?"

"Who said I was human?" Well…I had a demon blood in me with none of the benefits. I might as well have been human, but I didn't like him being so presuming.

"_It goes without saying._"

I wanted to leap on him and strangle him, stab him until the blood drained entirely from his being, bruise him until he looked like a blueberry.

I glared at him, red at the corners of my vision, trying to plan out how I would defeat him. He stared back into my eyes, his menacing red eyes boring into my mine.

"_You think you can defeat me?_"

"I don't think, I _know_."

He laughed a sickening, throaty laugh, like he was remembering some immense joke.

"_Go ahead and try, weakling_."

I stood for several moments before deciding how I would begin my attack. I was about to lunge at him when—

"Inuyasha! Are you _insane_?"

I looked to my left to see Kagome, chest heaving as she finally reached me. She was staring at me, eyes crazed and angry.

"No, but you are."

"You can't do it, he's right," she said.

"And you can?" I asked doubtfully.

"Yes."

The laugh came again.

"_Foolish Kagome. You cannot defeat me, no matter how hard you try. You are too involved to be able to finish the job. You should have killed me when you had the chance, but it's too late now_."

I was thoroughly confused, since I'd obviously missed a huge thing about how they knew each other.

Kagome stood, staring into the blood-colored eyes, her own gray eyes filled with a look of pure hatred.

"Kagome…"

"Go. You must go back to the ship and tell the crew that I—" She paused. "Just tell them whatever." Her eyes bored into me, trying to convey a message that I couldn't quite understand.

"No." I set my jaw stubbornly.

She gaped at me, her expression exasperated. "Don't do this now. You have to—"

"_Sorry to interrupt this delightful lovers' quarrel, but I don't have time to waste listening to you two argue. Kagome, you'll need all the help you can get—though it still won't be enough_."

Kagome's eyes showed her internal battle. _To argue or to accept my help_… Then I fully processed his words.

"_Lovers' quarrel? _You are one demented bastard."

"Inuyasha…don't die."

I smirked and re-entered my previous stance. I would have to figure out how to incorporate Kagome into my battle strategy, but that wouldn't be hard. I made up my mind and looked to her, nodding when I was ready. She nodded back and we quickly communicated through our eyes, as if to go over our approach.

We both went at him from opposite sides, but he countered the attack with two long swords, which had been strapped in an "X" on his back.

So, a two-sword fighter, eh?

I pulled the dagger from the scabbard on my side and threw it at him with skilled aim. It plunged into his shoulder, but then a very strange thing happened.

It absorbed into him, slowly fading until it completely disappeared. Well there's something that was useful to know.

Then, in such a quick motion I hardly realized it happened, another dagger was plunged into his opposite shoulder. But instead of absorbing as mine had, it had smoke coming from where it entered Naraku's shoulder, as if it were burning his flesh. A bitter odor filled the area.

He made a sound that I assumed meant he was in pain, though not very much. I looked more closely at the dagger and its hilt looked like it was glowing.

It had rubies and emeralds and sapphires in a pattern all over it. The part of the blade that showed wasn't silver like metal, but iridescent and fragile looking, like glass. It had swirling colors in it, but they were moving in a constantly changing pattern on the blade…it was like it was hollow with colored gases swirling inside. It was the most astonishing and strange weapon I'd ever seen.

While I stood staring like an idiot, Kagome and Naraku were still in combat. Naraku began breathing slightly heavier and when he reached up to grip the dagger—in order to remove it, I guessed—he quickly removed his hand to show the blackened skin and more smoke entered the air. It had to be some sort of specially made dagger that affected him…whatever he was.

I snapped out of my stupor and joined Kagome, though I felt useless with regular weapons. When I was about to be stabbed by Naraku in the leg, I reached up and slipped a dagger out of one of Kagome's boots. I hurled it at him and it bounced of if his arm, but it still singe his arm ever-so-slightly. He flinched away and landed the blow just inches from my leg.

If Kagome had been on his other side, I might have lost a limb just now.

Kagome was shocked from my taking her knife, and she seemed rather annoyed that it was across the deck now.

"Inuyasha—can you—handle him for a few moments—while I retrieve—the dagger?" she puffed out as we moved and twisted around each other and away from Naraku's blows.

"Yeah," I panted.

She nodded and when she deflected one last blow, she ducked under it and raced to the dagger, leaving me to fend by myself against this inhuman _thing_.

I swung down to hit him straight on, and my sword clashed against his crossed ones.

"_You fool…you no hopes for victory without the correct weapons."_

"That may be true, but I can damn well try!"

"_You should have left when you had the chance."_

"I couldn't."

"_How sweet. Love binds you to her._"

"Nope."

"_Then what is this strange need of your to stay fighting by her side?_"

"Who said I needed to be by her side?"

"_You would surely be dead by now if not for her._"

"Probably."

He seemed annoyed by my answers; it was like he thought he could break my aspiration to fight him. That wouldn't happen for a long time—if ever.

And, besides, how was I supposed to know I'd have to fight him with strange weapons? Kagome had actually expected to fight him alone—silly wench—so she didn't give me any of the blades necessary to defeat him. So many reasons could be conceived for why I wasn't dead yet but should've been.

I glanced towards Kagome as I continued my solo battle with Naraku and she was running back towards us, dagger gleaming in her hand. Once she was close enough, she hurled the dagger against his backside, its sharp blade burning once it entered Naraku's body. He screamed in pain, arching his back, and suddenly did something I hadn't expected him to: He began to retreat.

He shot glares all over his tumultuous ship, pairs of fighters scattered all over. Somehow, he had conveyed to all of them that the fight was over and some vanished as others ran below decks. Kagome and her remaining crew began making their ways back to the other ship.

I simply stood in confusion, since no battle I'd ever been in had ended in such a manner. Kagome had a rope of her ship's rigging and turned to look at me.

"You coming, Taisho?" she yelled over the sound of the waves, wind, and boisterous crew.

I shook my head to clear it and made my way towards her, the ship's distance from Kagome's increasing with every passing second.

I grabbed the rope from Kagome and wrapped an arm tightly around her waist. She glared at me for a moment, annoyed, before wrapping her arms around my torso securely. We swung over to her ship and Kagome released me as soon as her feet were solidly planted.

"Jerk," she muttered as she stalked away from me.


	6. Chapter 6

_This chapter was edited/revised Tuesday, February 9, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 6**

I marched over to Kagome, who was inspecting damage of her crew and ship, and decided it was time for a bit of explaining on her part.

"Alright, I think it's about time you tell me what the hell is going on!"

She looked at me, blinked, and then went back to her current task—inspecting the deep cuts on one of her crewmen. She addressed not him, not me, which really pissed me off. "You should go to the physician and ask him to clean and bandage these. Tell me what he says if for some reason he can't do it or send him to me."

The man nodded and stood, walking away and disappearing into a small cabin.

She began walking away, and I caught her by the arm. She spun around and wore a dangerous glare on her face. "Unhand me," she said coldly.

"Tell me what's going on and I will."

She huffed and tried to shake my grip on her arm loose, but to no avail. "Let me go this instant!"

"No."

"Miroku!"

Miroku came running and studied our position. "What's the matter, Captain?"

She pointed at me angrily. "Put him in the brig. Don't leave a light."

Miroku grabbed my arm and tried to pull me towards the dreaded brig. I then wondered if my spilt blood was still staining the planks of the floor…

"Come with me," he said through clenched teeth.

I stood my ground, feet planted firmly on the wood beneath them.

He shot a glance at Kagome. "Come _on_!"

"Go, damn it! I've given orders and you must follow them!" Kagome yelled at me, furious. I smirked and she bristled.

"Correction, you gave _him_ orders. They never said anything that involved me cooperating."

"I order you to follow him to the brig!"

"Will he be joining me there? I'd really like a separate cell, in that case."

She breathed deeply through her nostrils. "No, he will _escort_ you. Now go before I…before I whip you! Would you like that? Hm?"

"No, I wouldn't, actually. But I'm not going back in the brig."

She laughed; I picked up a bit of hysteria in it. "Oh, you'll go back. I'll make sure of that."

"Give me a lamp."

"No. You haven't earned a light, so you will fight off the rats the old-fashioned way."

"Which is…?"

"By hand, of course."

It was my turn to laugh. Sans hysteria. "Uh, no."

"_Excuse_ me?"

"No. Nein. Non."

"So, you are multilingual. I understand English just fine. Yes. Oui. Ja. It's the same in every language, bottom line is that you're going there, and there's no choice involved."

"Why won't you tell me?"

"Because, it's all in the past, and it's also none of your business. You disobeyed orders directly to my face and fought him, and you were unprepared. I didn't give you the weapons for a _reason_, Inuyasha. I thought you might be smart enough to put two and two together."

"Four."

"_Hilarious_. You know what I mean."

"No, I don't. You won't tell me."

"I don't trust you enough—if at all—to tell you. I've only told one person, and that person is the reason we are going to Tortuga."

"You will trust me, eventually," I said easily. "You'll see."

"Perhaps I will, perhaps I won't." She assessed me for a moment before huffing, "_Fine_, you will stay in the cabin with the others. But if I hear of you causing _any_ trouble, I will take you to the brig myself. And you will not resist. It'll be much more inviting than fighting with me if that situation unfolds."

I smirked again and looked meaningfully between Miroku's hand and his face. He let go after several hesitant seconds and the two went back to their tasks.

* * *

There's a very good reason for wanting to be captain—aside from the obvious reasons.

The reason I speak of—or think of?—now is that you don't have to suffer through the…sleeping habits of your crew. Such as snoring. Or talking. Or tossing and turning. Or just their general odor.

No matter what the case, if you're captain, you get your own bed, away from everyone else aboard. You get a whole _room_ to yourself. It may be a bit ominous after some attacks, but it's rather easy to get past that if you think about sleeping around two or three dozen other men. And in Kagome's case, it seemed only natural she sleep apart from them.

Because she's a woman.

I lay awake in my hammock, eyes aimed at the ceiling—the only spot where there wasn't stinking, drooling, noise-making pirates.

I wondered what I would one day name my ship. Something suitable. Not after a woman, that's for sure. Too attached. And then, like all women, after they betray and leave, you have to come up with a new name and you're back to square one.

The thought of betrayal and leaving made unwelcome memories arise. Like of _her_. And of my 'mother.' They both left me. They both betrayed me.

One left me the day before the could-have-been most important day of my life. The other left the day before my fifth birthday. Either way, they're all the same.

I pushed those horrible memories back into their dark corner in my mind and thought of other things, things that were _far_ more important.

I wondered if Kagome would let me see to some business with an old friend in Tortuga…I owed a guy money, and he wouldn't be happy to learn I ignored the thought of him while I was in Tortuga.

Ah, Tortuga. Sanctuary to all pirates. Well, sort of. More like a place where you don't get chased by British guys in red coats with guns aimed at you. Or—worse—thoughts aimed at capturing you and bringing you to the nearest British fort to by tried and hanged. Lord knows most pirates would rather die than renounce their ways of life; than renounce their very reason for not shooting themselves.

Because you aren't a true pirate unless you can't bear to think of living any other way. And the way of life that follows it. The danger, the fortune, the un-attachment.

Un-attachment having many meanings. To a place of housing. To your income. To the law. To _women_.

Again, the thought of women came to mind. I sighed.

Take…Kagome, for instance. She seems like an innocent, almost child-like woman, who doesn't like to dress like a female. But if you spend…an hour, a day, any length of time with her, you find out the opposite. She's not at all innocent, for one. She speaks like a pirate—swears and insults included. She's not child-like; not even a little. She keeps secrets, tells lies when necessary; she's a true woman, basically. In that part she's like any other woman I've known: deceitful and bitter.

Another thing is that she's stubborn as all hell. Found that one out the hard way…

Sure, everyone has a measure of stubbornness in them, but hers is an incredibly _long_ measure. I suppose she'd say the same about me…

_I wonder what she must think of me?_

I'd be a fool to assume anything good. And you all know what happens when you assume…

Then again, I'm assuming it's all bad things…

Hm, vicious circle, isn't it?


	7. Chapter 7

_This chapter was edited/revised Tuesday, February 9, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 7**

"Land ho!" shouted a man in the crow's nest. The men on deck looked to him and followed the direction of his outstretched arm. They scurried to the side of the ship and made way for Kagome to come through, spy glass in hand.

"It's Tortuga!" she announced.

I stood up against one of the main masts, arms folded over my chest. She turned and made her way back through the crowd and looked up to see my smirking face.

She sighed. "What is it now?"

"Nothing. But I do have a question for you."

"And what is that?"

"Will you allow me to see an old…friend while we're in Tortuga?"

She laughed at the thought. "Why in the hell would I allow you to go off by yourself? And in Tortuga!"

"Because, you do not want to be on this man's bad side. Which you will be if he learns I'm on your ship, I was in Tortuga, and I completely ignored him. He will suspect it is your fault, and then he'll raise hell over it the next time you make port."

She paused for a moment, contemplating the request. "You will have someone go with you."

I was about to say no, but then I thought better of it. I could easily get away from one of these pea-brains once we entered the crowded streets and buildings of the city. "Fine."

She seemed surprised by my answer, as though she were fully prepared to argue over it. She nodded and made her way to the helm. She talked with Miroku and he moved aside, allowing her to take the wheel.

"We'll dry dock, men!" she pronounced finally. Her ship had been damaged and she wanted to repair as much as she could.

They pulled the ship into the dry docking area and several men jumped out and landed with a splash in the clear waters of the Caribbean. They pulled the vessel with their strength and others attached it securely to the ground with ropes and wooden posts shoved into the ground.

As I jumped down from the ship, I was nearly landed on by Kagome. I figured she'd have climbed down a rope…

I caught her in my arms so she didn't land on top of me or land on whatever creatures might be in the water below. She landed an arm around my neck and looked at me, surprised. We stared at each other for a moment before she looked at my arms and it became rather awkward.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat.

"Right. Sorry," I muttered, setting her down gently in the clear waters. She ducked her head and waded hastily to the nearest dry land.

I shook my head at myself in disgust. I'd held women before in the same manor; why was it so awkward with her? Maybe because she was not only my captain and captor, but also a woman pirate who dressed like a man.

I made my way to the land after her, my legs soaked from the knee down.

_I should have just let her fall in the water…_

I stood waiting while the crew reassembled in front of Kagome. She cleared her throat. "Alright, we'll be leaving in four days. If you're not back on the ship when we leave, consider yourself left behind. We will not come back for you—at least not any time soon. I need one of you to watch _him_—" she motioned towards me "—while I visit an old friend. Any volunteers?"

Everyone looked back and forth, but one man—a rather scrawny one who looked out of place—stepped forward. "I volunteer, Captain."

"Good man, Akitoki. Thank you."

Well, she made this so easy it almost wouldn't be any fun. The man—if you could call him that—looked like he'd just been addressed by his hero or something. Must be obsessed with her. Freak.

She, apparently, had more instructions. "I would like several of you to fix the keel. I will come back to see the full extent of the damages tomorrow. You may reboard the ship of you need a place to sleep, but no women may board unless directed so by myself. Understood?"

A few men nodded and began walking into the city. She didn't move from her spot on the ground. I stood, staring back at her as she stared at me.

"What?" I finally asked.

"You'd better come back. If you don't, I will hunt you down," she promised.

"Is that a threat, Miss Higurashi?" I teased.

"Oh, so _now_ you'll address me somewhat properly?"

"Don't answer a question with a question."

"Tough. You owe me the next five years of your life, and I plan on making good of them."

"Good?"

"It's a matter of perspective, I suppose."

"You sound so proper."

"Well, ex_cuse_ me for not speaking like some barbarian."

"I don't speak like a barbarian," I protested.

"Did I _say_ you spoke like a barbarian?"

I frowned at her, since I had no reply; she was right, after all. She began to turn and walk away when I thought of something. "Kagome?"

"Yes, what is it?" She looked a bit exasperated.

"I'll come back. You should try this thing called relaxing. Every heard of it?" I mocked.

She rolled her eyes. "Such a child," she muttered as she stalked away. I chuckled and she threw a quick glare over her shoulder.

It was only me and Akitoki left standing when she was gone. He stayed silent…until now.

"So…what's your name again?"

"I never told you before, so there is no 'again.'" I glared.

"What is it, then?"

And I glared. "Inuyasha."

"Where are we going, Inuyasha?"

And I glared some more. "None of your business. You're just supposed to watch me. Nothing was said about added commentary or questioning."

The idiot couldn't seem to comprehend what I was saying—'shut up!'—and so he kept talking.

"Who are you meeting? Why do you need to see this person? Why are you so rude to Captain Higurashi?"

"Why are you such an annoying bastard who doesn't know how to take a hint and shut the hell up?!" I shouted.

He shut his mouth with a click and turned his eyes towards the ground. I had stopped and faced him to fully make him understand what I was saying. He was so small that I created a full-on shadow over him, making it seem all the more like I was going to punch him. My weapons were taken away, though, and his weren't. This little, yet major, detail kept me from knocking him out to make it easier. I knew, being the stupid bastard he was, he would go and cry to Kagome about it in a few days or whenever we saw her next.

So, I restrained myself enough to prevent the whole mess from happening.

I purposely turned onto the nearest over-crowded street I could find, and thus beginning my quest for temporary freedom. I walked through a thick crowd that had just emerged from a pub, some of the men acting as drunken idiots, arms draped over women with low-cut dresses. I pushed and shoved through, and entered the pub, which was just as congested as the street. I kept up my hurried pace until I'd fully circled the place. A woman—one of the slutty waitresses—stepped in my path once I finished checking the area for Akitoki.

"Hey, handsome. Can I get you something…?" She looked me up and down in a suggestive manner.

A fleeting thought drifted through my head, asking if I _should _accept, just to pass some time while the scrawny chatter box searched the street, but I pushed it aside and asked, "How about a shot or two?"

She seemed slightly disappointed, but walked—more like sauntered—behind the bar and pulled out a shot glass. "What would you like?"

"Anything, as long as it's whiskey."

She took out a half-empty bottle of the liquor and filled the glass till it nearly overflowed. She pushed it across the bar and I took it in my hand. She rested her hand on mine, stopping me from drinking it. "I'll do one, too."

She quickly filled another glass and held it up. I held mine and air-clinked it.

"Cheers."

"Cheers," she replied, peering at me over the edge of her glass. We both brought the glasses to our mouths, and I flung my head back, chugging the whiskey and praying it was enough to dull the minor headache I'd developed from that blubbering imbecile. It wasn't quite gone, so I had her pour me another. After finishing it off, I headed towards the exit, but someone from the crew walk in and I quickly turned towards the hallway that extended to my right.

I entered a storage room that smelled something fierce. I almost walked right back out, but thought better of it. I cracked the door open and saw the man's back, the same waitress going over and sitting on his lap. He took her on his knee welcomely, and I swiftly exited the small room, focused on the door.

I made it to the street safely, unnoticed by the man. I wound through the roads until I found the one I needed. It was nearly deserted, the only sign of life being the lights on in some buildings. I looked back at the street sign.

I started to think of his reaction when he realized I had no money, so I turned and headed to a bar where I was sure to get some.

I walked into it after back-tracking a couple streets, and the familiar sign was over head and swaying in the light breeze as I entered. There were several tables with no one seated, the man I needed to see intent on drying a glass where he stood behind the bar. He glanced up for a split second and did a double take.

"Taisho? That you?"

"The one and only."

He laughed throatily, then set the glass down, coming from behind the long bar table. The man was strange, but a close friend. He never asked questions when I needed money, or anything for that matter, which is why I visited him still. He had a strange face; he wasn't a looker, exactly, but it made him no less of a person.

He brought me into a hug and clapped me on the back before stepping back. He kept his hands on my arms as he studied my weathered appearance; I'd aged since I last saw him.

"You look like you've had a rough time lately," he said disdainfully.

It was true, I guess. I still was injured on the shoulder and side, and the spot on my cheek had only scabbed over the other day. "Yeah, I suppose that's one way to put it."

"What are you doing around these seas? Last I heard from ya, you were goin' to the Indian Ocean."

"Well, that didn't exactly happen. I was…marooned." I frowned at the memory. "Left me on the West African coast, and I hopped ships to Nouvelle-Orleans, where I…encountered my new captain."

"What's the name?"

I took a deep breath. "Captain Higurashi."

"Never heard of 'im."

"Probably because it isn't a him."

"What is it then? Not a woman…"

I stared back at him.

"A _woman_? You signed the articles of a _woman_? Somethin' wrong with yer head, mate?"

I sighed deeply. "Well, it was either that or death, and I've been trying to avoid the latter."

"Death, eh? That seems a bit harsh on a quick round up of a crew."

"That's not what it was. You ever think to wonder how I got from Africa to the French territory of Nouvelle-Orleans?"

"Ship hoppin'?"

"Exactly. _She_ owns the ship I was trying to hop."

I explained the whole event that led to my five year sentence and he was speechless.

"So what are ya here for?"

"I need money."

He nodded knowingly. "Ah. How much?"

"Three hundred."

"Three—? What mess d'ya get yerself into this time?"

"If I don't have money when I go visit the same guy as last time, my hopes of escaping this wench will be pointless--he'll kill me himself!"

"Alright, I'll give ya the money. C'mon."

I followed him and took the money, saying a quick goodbye and going back to the grim street labeled _Deadman's Way_.

I headed towards a run-down looking building and knocked on the rickety front door. I was met by a familiar, devilish face.

A slow smile. "We meet again, Inuyasha."


	8. Chapter 8

_This chapter was edited/revised Tuesday, February 9, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 8**

"Hello, Bankotsu," I said.

"It's about time you made an appearance here. I've been waiting for a long time." I shook his head scornfully.

"I know. You think I would be _here_ for any other reason?"

"You'd better not be looking for more money, 'cause I won't give you any."

"I'm here to pay my debt to you, and that's all."

"Hand it over."

I took out the sack of gold coins that Totosai gave me and held it out.

"Put it on the table," he ordered. I scowled inwardly.

I set it on the rickety wooden table next to me by a tall, dripping candle.

I inched towards the door and cleared my throat. "I'll just be on my way, then—"

"I don't think so. I'm going to have to count it out to make sure you aren't trying to trick me. Honestly, did you think I'd fall for that?"

I sighed. "No, I guess not. Worth a try though, right?"

He just stared at me, unblinking, for another moment and proceeded to sit in the badly-cushioned chair behind the table. He picked up the sack and cut the top with a knife, turning it over to let the gold spill out onto the table.

He motioned to the corner. "Have a seat. I'm gonna count this one-by-one, so you might be here a while."

I sat at the chair in the dim corner of the room, a little creeped-out by the monstrous spider-web that was dangling from the ceiling above me. I heard the metallic sound of the coins being stacked and slid across the rough, grainy surface of the table, each with seven coins on top of one another.

I watched him, almost hypnotized by the steady, timed movement of each stack. His tanned skin had golden reflections from the way the candle-light hit the coins and they moved up and down his hands and arms as he counted. His lips twitched slightly; probably because he was trying to keep track of where he was at with the numbers.

After about thirty minutes, I was so bored I counted out the stacks; there was about forty. I looked at the remaining coins that lay carelessly across the table and was pleased to find there was very few left. I was surprised when he began counting loudly.

"Two hundred ninety-six, two hundred ninety-seven, two hundred ninety-eight, two hundred ninety-nine, three hundred. I must say, I'm quite surprised you didn't try to stash a couple coins for yourself."

"Is that all you think of me?" I asked, feigning offense.

He was unsympathetic. "Yes, actually. I'm not saying I'm disappointed in you for not trying to."

"Well, I figured you'd make me sit here while you counted them out, and I'm in no position to turn up dead or badly injured or…anything else."

"Why's that?"

"Strict captain." I almost snorted out a laugh at that. Yeah, 'strict'. So strict, she sent a little wimp to watch me in a _pirate_ city. Real smart wench, that one.

"You still with Captain Taisho?"

"Nope." He raised an eyebrow but I gave him a hard look. I was not about to explain myself to _him_. He shrugged his shoulders lightly and looked at the mass of glowing gold coins that lay in front of him. They reflected off his eyes, making them look more of a golden color than blue. "Can I go now?"

"By all means, leave. But there is a favor I'd like to ask you first."

I rolled my eyes. "Is that so?"

"Have you ever heard of a lady called Sango?"

I thought. "No. Why?"

"I need you to find her and trade something for me."

"Why can't you do it yourself?"

He huffed impatiently. "_Because_, I have _other_ important things to do."

"Alright, what do I need to _trade_?"

"She knows. Just tell her it's something for me, and she'll give it to you."

"Why so secretive all of a sudden?" I jibbed.

"It's something that all people involved are secretive about."

"Alright, what am I trading for this _secret_ thing?"

"This." He pulled out a rolled up parchment paper and held it horizontally with both hands.

"What is that?"

"An important map she's been trying to get from me for years. It holds many secrets and she wants to know what they are."

"Whatever you say," I said, raising my eyebrows and holding out a hand. He didn't move.

"You think I would just give it to you like this?"

"Like what? It's rolled up, all secrets hidden. What's the problem?"

"I should have figured you wouldn't know. I don't have time to explain it." He went into a back room through a rather unstable-looking door, and came back out holding a metal canister that was about a foot and a half long. It was a dull, dark silver with countless dents in it, but it still had a round shape.

He slid the rolled up paper into one end of the canister, flipping the lid shut and hooking the latch securely. Now, he held it out to me. I put out a hand to grab it but was unpleasantly surprised that the metal canister was rather heavy, almost dropping it. Bankotsu flinched, then shook his head as I smiled sheepishly and turned toward the door.

Then I thought about something, and stopped. I turned on my heel and he was looking at me, arms crossed and head titled. "Where do I find this lady?"

"I was wondering when you would ask. She lives in a small building next to a pub called _Puerto de Diablo_."

"Is this easy to find?"

"It is if you know your way around the city, which I'm assuming you do. It's pretty close to the docks and its sign is bright red with painted flames. Pretty hard to miss."

"Okay, anything else?"

"If you lose that then I _will_ kill you. That's a guarantee."

"That's what I like about visiting you," I said. "You always make me feel _so_ welcome."

"This is no joking matter, Inuyasha."

"Who said anything about jokes?" He looked like he was about to reply—or possibly hit me—but I cut in before he could. "Alright, alright. I get it. Don't lose the map thing. Lose map, Inuyasha die."

"Once you have it traded, I expect you to bring the item back to me immediately."

"I will. Can I go _now_?"

"Shoo."

I left his creepy old house/building-thing and walked out into the cool, empty street. _Damn, that guy annoys me.  
_

* * *

I found the place easy enough. The pub was on a street corner and you could, in fact, see parts of the docks from it. I looked the building of 'Sango' up and down before pushing though the heavy wooden door.

Something told me that this was a bad idea. I looked at the corner to see a woman with long brown hair pulled back and she sat at a table across from another woman. The other woman's back was to me, and she stayed focused on something on the table.

The woman with brown hair stood and looked at me, then at the metal canister in my hands. Her eyes widened marginally and she made her way around the table towards me. "Can I help you, sir?"

"Are you Sango?"

"Yes, that's me."

"I'm supposed to trade you this for something. It's from Bankotsu."

Then the other woman, long, curling black hair spilling around her shoulders, stood and turned her head. Her bright gray eyes widened much more than marginally. I could see the whites all around her irises and a look of anger slowly spreading across her face.

"_Inuyasha_?" she said in a dangerously-low voice.

I could feel the blood quickly draining from my face.

She began to come at me, almost looking as though she would attack me like a crazed, vicious animal. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"K-Kagome," I began. I felt like my eyes might fall out of my head. "Small town, huh?"


	9. Chapter 9

_This chapter was edited/revised Tuesday, February 9, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 9**

"Do you two know each other?" Sango asked, looking between my paled face and Kagome's reddening, furious one.

Kagome ignored Sango's inquiry. "Inuyasha, where's Akitoki?"

"Good question," I replied.

"You _lost_ him?" she asked incredulously. Her eyes were still the size of saucers.

"That's one way to put it—I like to think of it as him losing me." I smirked, momentarily relishing in my diminutive victory.

Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but shut it right away. I could literally see her putting everything together. Her eyes widened again. "That was why you never objected to having someone—" She stopped, too shocked to continue. "This was your plan the _whole_ time?"

I wasn't quite sure how to respond. Option one: I own up to it and have the very large chance that she kills me on the spot. Option two: I deny it all, and she calls me a liar and a few other choice words…well, the choice words will probably come either way. "I…had to. There was no way I could have gone to see this guy with that idiot tagging along…trust me."

Sango cut in, "How do you know each other? Who are you?"

"I'm his captain, and he's—"

I cut her off before she could continue, "I'm Inuyasha and she's certainly not my captain _by choice_. If you're Sango like you say, then this is for you." I held up the canister and she immediately reached for it, but I pulled it back before she made contact. "First, you're supposed to trade me something for it…for me to bring back to Bankotsu."

She blinked; she'd been entranced by the object in my hands. "Oh, right. Please excuse me for a moment."

She disappeared behind a curtain of beads that hung over a doorway and came back out holding an unusual object. It looked to be a giant sword with small white papers plastered all over it. They had Japanese writing on them.

"What is _that_? More importantly, how am I supposed to get that back to him? Just carry it around out _there_?" I motioned to the busy street.

"This is a halberd. It takes lots of skill to wield it, and one must be able to break its seals first," she explained.

Kagome decided she'd had enough of this nonsense. "Inuyasha, get back on the ship."

"What are you gonna do…_make_ me?" I raised an eyebrow and stared her down, not even flinching when she looked like she would hit me. I smirked when I knew she wouldn't argue, and her face turned red. _She's so fun to mess with…_

"To get this back to him," Sango continued, "I'll put a temporary concealment spell on it."

She said it so matter-of-factly, like it was common knowledge. I raised my eyebrows. "A what?"

"A concealment spell. It'll hide what the halberd really looks like for a short time. If it's done correctly, it should appear as nothing more than a pocket knife."

How do you reply to that? A week ago, I probably would have laughed in her face at it, but I would believe a lot of things of the sort now.

Kagome spoke up, a concerned look on her face. "What about our discussion? Will we still have time to proceed if you use your energy on this?"

Sango laughed. "Of course. Concealment spells are simple…elementary, even. They take little time and effort to conjure, and even less if they're temporary. Inuyasha, how long do you need to get this to him?"

"Not long…thirty minutes, at most."

She smiled. "Follow me."

She disappeared behind the bead curtain again, and I looked up to see Kagome staring at me with questioning eyes. I began walking to follow Sango and shrugged my shoulders, tilting my head toward the curtain so she might follow, too. She sighed and gave in, not wanting to ruin whatever plans she'd already made with Sango.

Behind the beads, there was a large array of equally strange weapons, bottles of foreign-looking substances, and other things I'd never seen before. There was the occasional recognizable thing, like a small container of shredded candle wax and some weapons. I then noticed a row of five daggers that hung on the wall, all looking like the ones that Kagome had stabbed Naraku with. Before I could look inspect my surroundings further, Sango beckoned me over to her.

"Did Bankotsu verify how soon he wanted this?"

"No, he just said to bring it back…and not to lose it."

"Ah, very like him."

She began pulling out some of the bottles and then a small piece of parchment paper. She set a small, smooth wooden bowl in front of her. After that, she opened a container and poured a small amount of a thin, watery liquid that was a slightly maroon color into the bowl.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Spring water and the blood of a chameleon," she replied absently, not looking away from her work. She grabbed another container and poured more of a thin liquid into the bowl, slowly stirring it with a spoon. "Sea water," she said, answering my question before I asked it. She dipped a cloth into the mixture, staining the tip the slight maroon color. She walked to the halberd and began soaking it with the substance. I glanced at Kagome who had an equally confused look to her.

Sango took the piece of paper that looked similar to the ones already covering the halberd and wrote out something in Japanese on it, then placed it on the blade, the liquid soaking into the paper and making it stay in place. She stood and grabbed a tall bottle off a shelf and began sprinkling what looked like sea salt over the sword, saying, "Transform this sword; take its appearance. Compose a façade; remain without interference. Let it come back; to its current state. It shall return with its power; it shall not abate."

She finished and opened her eyes. I looked back to the halberd and my eyes widened. I looked to Kagome who stood staring at the halberd—or what used to be the halberd. Now, where it used to lay was a small knife that seemed to glow for several seconds before it turned to a normal state. I looked at Sango who stared proudly down at her creation.

"What…what the hell did you_ do_?" I asked.

"A concealment spell...weren't you listening earlier?" Sango asked, looking confused.

"But…but _how_?"

"I come from a long line of people who can do such things. I learned from my father."

I just stood there in astonishment. If I had chosen a different ship that night, I would never have gotten myself into this mess. _I wouldn't have met Kagome…_

"Alright, can we get started on our plans now, Sango?" Kagome asked.

"Yes, absolutely. Here, Inuyasha. You have thirty minutes to bring this to him before the spell expires." She held out the former halberd to me and I reached for it. Kagome wasn't having any of this.

"Wait! Who said you were leaving again? You need to get back on the ship after you find Akitoki."

"Haven't you been listening?" I asked her. "If I don't get this back to him, he'll kill me. He guaranteed it to me before I left. If I don't go back there with this by tomorrow, you'll lose your prisoner."

She straightened her shoulders. "He hasn't dealt with me yet. If he comes here with plans of killing you, then I'll kill him. Simple."

I rolled my eyes at her smug expression. "No, not simple. You haven't even met him, and you already assume you can take him on in a fight?"

"Well, you certainly aren't venturing around this city any longer by yourself."

I started to see a way around this. "Then _you_ come with me."

"Why would I go with you?"

"Why not?"

"_Because,_ I have important issues to deal with, and in order to do so, I must remain here."

"Oh, I'm sure you have _plenty_ of issues," I mumbled.

"What?"

"What?" I looked at her innocently. I shook my head and said, "I didn't say anything."

"Yes, you did." She eyed me suspiciously.

"How would you know? You weren't listening."

"I was too, _you_ weren't speaking clearly."

"Maybe it's your hearing, not my speaking."

"No, it isn't. Why am I even having this conversation with you? Go back to the ship."

"It would be a lot quicker and easier if you just went with me to deliver this. That's all I have to do; deliver it."

Sango cut in, "The spell is going to wear of before you even leave if you two keep this up. I thought you were his captain?"

"I am, he just chooses to treat me like this."

"I think you should go with him. If you don't, then I will," threatened Sango.

I liked how this woman reasons. I'm nearly guaranteed to go there within the next five minutes and not have to deal with Bankotsu for a long time.

Kagome looked between the two of us for a moment, before sighing and turning around. "_Fine_. Let's go."

I grinned and took the knife, following her back into the front room. She was about to reach for the door handle when she stopped and turned to face me. "Now you listen to me, mister," she said, poking my chest. "We go straight there, and come straight back. Nothing else."

"Why would we do anything else?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, noticing how close we were standing. She was inches away from me.

"_We_ wouldn't," she said, stepping back and running into the door. I laughed lightly and she scowled, and I swore I saw a quick flash of red across her cheeks. "Come on," she mumbled, turning as her hand scrambled for the door handle.

"Thanks, Sango," I called.

We were nearly to Bankotsu's place when I felt a strange, tingling sensation run up my hand and arm—the one I held the knife with. It began to burn almost, and I dropped it, no longer able to stand it.

Kagome stopped and nearly ran into me. "What's wrong?"

"I think the spell is wearing off or something. It started to feel like it was burning me."

I glanced down where the knife had landed and saw it get the same glow it had right after it had transformed. It began to peel away, like a skin, and revealed part of the halberd's handle, then grew out into the blade. Luckily, we had just turned onto the street Bankotsu's place was on, so I wouldn't have to carry it far. I bent down to pick it up only to discover it was rather heavy. Sango must be strong; she held it like it weighed as much as a pillow.

I managed to pick it up and rest it over my shoulder while Kagome walked warily off to the side, glancing over at me quite often. I knocked on Bankotsu's front door, which was opened almost immediately. He stepped aside for me to come in, and I turned, making sure not to further damage his already worn doorway. Kagome stood just outside the door, as if she were afraid to enter such a building.

"Who's she?" Bankotsu asked me when he opened the door.

"A friend." Kagome looked at me when I said that, as if she'd never considered calling us friends. I didn't blame her.

"Come on in. A friend of Inuyasha's is a friend of mine." Yeah…right. Like I'd believe that. He probably wants something other than me to look at. "I see the trade went well."

"Yeah. Where should I put this thing?"

"I'll take it." He held out his hands, and I thought of a kid reaching for a puppy. He took it and held it in the same manor Sango had. He was stroking the blade up and down like it was…well, a puppy.

"Can I go now?"

"You haven't yet introduced me to your friend." He looked at Kagome, then up and down from her head to her feet. I couldn't tell you why, but I felt…_jealous?_ I felt like I didn't want anyone to look at her like that.

"Kagome, this is Bankotsu. Bankotsu, Kagome."

"Pleasure," Kagome said in a small voice. Bankotsu nodded slightly.

"Well, we really need to be going, right, Kagome?"

"Yes, we have things to do."

"Far be it from me to prevent you from doing your things," Bankotsu said. "I have what I want."

We left quickly, and Kagome turned to me once we turned the street corner. She stopped walking, so I did too. "I don't like that guy. How did you ever get mixed up with a guy like him?"

"I don't particularly like him either. I guess it just happens when you need money and are willing to take it from anyone."

"He…he looked at me like a piece of meat. That is one of the things that I _hate _the most. I'm not…" She trailed off, too upset to continue. I couldn't help but feel glad that she hadn't liked how he'd looked at her, either. It wasn't just me.

"I know," I said. She looked at me, her eyes shiny like she might cry. What did I do now? "I know you aren't."

"Thanks, Inuyasha." She smiled faintly and began walking again, hugging herself when the wind picked up. Why did I feel like I wanted to be the one keeping her from the cold?

We walked back to Sango's place, passing the bar again. I noticed it was a bit emptier than before. Strange, usually they get fuller when it gets darker.

Sango was sitting at the table, the metal canister to her left. There was a piece of tattered parchment paper rolled out in front of her. When she heard us come in, she rolled it up and put it back into the canister. "Kagome, this is exactly what I need…what _we_ need to finish this!"

Kagome rushed over to Sango, eyes widening yet again. "Are you sure? It's really the one?"

"Yes. I don't think you could have picked a better time to visit Bankotsu, Inuyasha." She smiled up at me.

"What do you mean?" I had no idea what their plan was, but apparently I helped.

"You had to go see him, and he used you to trade. He wouldn't have come out on his own for a while if he could help it. But since you were there, he made the trade earlier."

"So…I was right to lie to Kagome then?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I'd prefer it if you didn't, but this is probably the only time I'll be somewhat grateful for it."

"Does this have anything to do with the thing you said I couldn't get for you? When we first met…remember?"

"Yes, it has everything to do with that."

I would stretch this out. She didn't realize it, but I was about to get back at her for making fun of my inability to adjust to the movement of the ship. "So…this thing that was _so_ impossible for me to do…I basically did it?"

She looked up at me from staring at the canister. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm _trying_ to say that you doubted my abilities and I proved your doubts wrong. I believe the conversation questioned my capability and you then asked why I was so close to my death, if I was so capable."

"Yes, and if I hadn't then we wouldn't be here right now, and you wouldn't have been able to help if I hadn't forced you to join my crew. I'm sorry, but there is absolutely no way that I'm going to apologize for doubting you, if that's what you're getting at."

_Dammit. I didn't think this through completely!_ Now all I could say, defeated, was: "Never mind."

_Stupid, stupid, stupid…_

"Why don't we go next door for a drink and deal with the map tomorrow?" suggested Sango.

"Sounds good to me," I said. I would love a drink right about now. I made a fool of myself to her; no harm can further be done unless I get drunk. We looked at Kagome.

"Alright, let's go. But first thing tomorrow we start working on it," she said. Sango nodded and we headed to the bar, waiting while Sango locked up.

"Kagome."

"What do you want now, Inuyasha?"

"Are you still mad that I lied?" I didn't know why, but I felt like I had to know.

She looked at me, realizing I wasn't joking around. Her face actually _softened_. After she looked at _me_. "No, I'm not mad. But, please, try to tell me the truth. You may not realize or believe it, but it hurts to be lied to."

"I am sorry, you know. I didn't _want_ to lie. But I had no other choice."

"You've made it really hard to trust you. I've no idea why, but somehow I do…even if it's not much, it's there."

This was news to me. I didn't like where the conversation was going, so I stopped talking. We entered to bar and sat down, ordering some drinks when the waitress came over. I looked up from my drink to meet Kagome's eyes before she looked away suddenly.

_Weird…was she staring at me?  
_

**

* * *

**

**  
A/N:** Alright, so I've composed a list of all the necessary genres to include:

Action/Adventure  
Drama  
Humor  
Supernatural  
Friendship (eventually…you'll see)  
Romance (same thing)

I _think_ that covers most of it…

Sorry it's starting to get so…strange. Just keep reading, it'll start making sense. TTFN!


	10. Chapter 10

_This chapter was edited/revised Tuesday, February 9, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 10**

We spent a little over an hour at the bar, talking and drinking. Whenever I looked at Kagome, it seemed like she was always looking away once our eyes met. She'd been acting really strange. Usually she wanted to hit me or cause me some sort of physical pain. I gotta say, I could get used to the change if she just shies away from me for the next five years.

Kagome walked with me back to the ship—to make sure I didn't try to pull anything again, I assumed. It was relatively silent, but for the occasional small talk we both tried to strike a conversation with. It wasn't really working. The awkward silences filled most of the walk.

When we got closer to the ship, Kagome stopped and turned to face me. I stopped too, curious as to what she might want to say to me now. When she didn't speak right away, I raised my eyebrows.

"Inuyasha, I…," she began, pausing and slightly furrowing her brows.

"Spit it out," I encouraged, morbid curiosity building.

She took a deep breath and nodded once. "I wanted to…thank you," she said slowly, as if she was confused by her own words. "For apologizing. And, as weird as it sounds, for lying."

I blinked. She glanced up to see my expression, and then started to shake her head. "No, never mind. Forget I said anything."

She began walking away, but I grabbed her arm. She swung around, surprised by my touch—and, to be honest, I was surprised a little too. She stared up at me with wide eyes before tilting her head slightly, confused.

"Kagome," I said. "Just say what you need to say. It's only me."

The right side of her mouth twitched into a half-smile. I thought of smiling back, but I didn't.

"Always so stubborn," she said in a teasing voice. She straightened her features and took another breath, closing her eyes for a few seconds. She looked straight at me when she spoke. "Inuyasha, thank you for doing what you did. I really do appreciate it, no matter what you might think."

"So…you wanted to thank me?" I asked carefully.

"…Yes," she finally said in a sure voice. She nodded to add emphasis to her words. "Yes, I'm thanking you."

"For…lying to you then apologizing for it?" I wasn't sure why I was stretching it out like I was, but I felt a strange need to keep talking to her.

"Yes, Inuyasha. Do you understand now?" she asked in a slightly exasperated tone. I had a strong feeling she was wishing she hadn't said anything.

I nodded to her. "Yeah, I understand. I'm just trying to…figure out…why."

"Why you understand?"

"No, why you're thanking me."

She pulled her eyebrows together in confusion. "Inuyasha, you aren't making any sense. You say you understand why I'm thanking you but…you don't understand why…I'm thanking you…?" She sighed.

"I understand the reasons behind it, but I don't understand why you're saying it." That sounds sorta right…

She thought about that for a short time, then looked back at me. "So…you don't know why I would take the time to say thank you? To you?"

I pieced it together in my head. "Yes."

"Oh. I see." She looked down to her left and scuffed her foot against the ground.. "So you think I'm that horrible, huh?" Her tone was unexpectedly sad.

"What? No, of course not," I said quickly. "I just thought that you hated me too much to be even a little bit nice to me."

She lifted her sad gaze from the ground and looked straight into my eyes. "You don't think I'm an awful captain?"

I furrowed my brows at her. "No."

Then she smiled and hugged me. I hesitantly rested my hands on her back, not sure what to do. Why do women have so many mood swings? How is it even possible to have that many in a five-minute period of time?

She pulled away, and I thought at first that she was blushing. "Good night, Inuyasha," she said in a quick, quiet voice then turned and headed back to where Sango lived. I stood, staring after like a blinking idiot.

I wandered back to the ship once she disappeared from sight, in a sort of dazed state. I wasn't totally aware of how I got there, but the next thing I knew I was in my bunk with my boots and shirt off.

I stared at the ceiling, which was just a couple feet from my face. I looked at the grains of wood in one plank, and thought about what just happened. She hugged me…of her own volition…and _smiled_.

I thought of how it seemed like she was a tree, and I was cutting against the grain. Totally the wrong direction, never an easy swing. That's how we started out, anyway. But now…it was like I had finally caught a hint and began cutting in the opposite direction. I started out trying to cut straight across, but I took time to think and started cutting at an angle, making each swing gradually easier.

Eventually—and this wasn't for sure, just a thought—I would be cutting in a straight line, each time I swung my axe it would slice through with near ease. We would be able to tolerate each other…well, she would be able to tolerate me. I could tolerate her just fine.

I was lost in my thoughts, so when someone spoke to me, I nearly jumped out of my skin. The room had been relatively empty and quiet. "Hey, you're Inuyasha, right?"

I looked over and down, to see the face of none other than Miroku. I almost laughed. Almost. "Yeah, what's it to you?"

"I'm Miroku." He held out a hand to shake. I stared at it until he put it back at his side uneasily. "We didn't get the proper chance to meet, is all."

"Since when is the life of piracy ever _proper_?"

"Good point. I suppose old habits die hard…" He trailed off.

"Old habits?" I finally asked, impatient.

"I used to be on one of the Queen's ships."

"What are you doin' here then? Working the royal fleet sounds like a much easier life."

"It is—was. I met Kagome and saw how desperate she was to pull together a crew, and I couldn't resist helping her." He paused, his mind obviously far away. "Her smile…her _innocence_ is truly hard to resist."

"Innocence?" I scoffed. "You must be joking."

"No, I'm afraid not. Can't you see it? She's too pure to live this hard life. I hate to think of what could've possibly caused her to choose it."

I thought about that for a moment. I never really thought of her as _innocent_. A tease, maybe. I would have to look more carefully, to truly know what Miroku was talking about.

"But why did you stay?"

"Stay?"

"Continue this life rather than going back the easy way," I clarified.

"Ah." He nodded knowingly. "Well, several reasons. For one, I don't think I could do that to Kagome. Another, I'd probably be hanged. But mostly because I'm _tired_ of taking the easy way out."

"You probably wouldn't be hanged, not if you renounced this life. But then, any pirate who would do that obviously doesn't truly belong with us. Not really."

"I see you've been taught the rule of thumb for judging a pirate's worth."

"Call it what you want, it's the truth. How could a man be willing to give up this life of freedom, just to live?" I asked rhetorically. "That wouldn't really be much of a life."

Miroku nodded. "I suppose it depends on the situation of the man. What if he has a family? Then does he still promise to live no other life?"

I was slightly stumped. But only slightly. I'd thought of it before, so I had an idea of how to respond. "Well, I guess that depends on how the family can live without him. If he has a kid, then his blood will live on."

"What if he doesn't?"

"Then…if the woman truly loves him, to the point where they can't live without each other, then I guess the answer is obvious."

"Is it, though?"

"Die with him."

"But is that the obvious answer to every man? Or just to yourself?" he challenged.

"Look, this is all hypothetical. I don't plan on having a kid…or a _wife_. I lost that chance—that _idea_ before I really gave it a second thought." I caught myself before I wound up thinking of _her_ too much. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

Miroku looked at me, slightly confused.

"Can I get some shut-eye now? I've had a…long day." What an understatement.

"Of course. Nice to finally have a…real meeting with you." At least he remembered not to say 'proper'.

He walked away and I turned my head straight, so I was looking at the ceiling again. I closed my eyes and the last image I saw before drifting into sleep was not one I wanted. It was _her_.

**

* * *

**

I was shaken awake by a pair of cool, soft hands. I looked over to see Kagome standing to the side of my bunk, even further down than Miroku had been. She was quite petite. She raised her eyebrows anxiously.

"What?" I asked. She rolled her eyes and sighed impatiently.

"You honestly think I'll trust anyone to watch you but myself after what you did yesterday? Stop playing dumb and put a shirt on." I saw a suspiciously pink tint to her cheeks.

I grinned slyly at her. "Is little Kagome embarrassed by a half-naked man?"

Her cheeks reddened. My grin widened. "No! I mean…unless you want to walk around out there without a shirt. The wind can get kinda—just hurry up!" She turned and stalked up the stairs onto the deck.

Well, that's one way to start out a day. I grabbed my shirt and put it on, stumbling while I made my way after her and shoved my boots on at the same time. I skipped stairs when I went up them. She was waiting by the railing, near one of the ropes.

As I approached her, she redirected her eyes to the sloshing waters, apparently not wanting to make eye contact with me. I smirked.

As I crawled over the edge, I dropped into the water with a splash like I had the day before. I looked up to see her readying herself to climb down the rope.

"You want me to catch you again?" I called up to her teasingly. I saw her pause and shake her head at my teasing, probably rolling her eyes in the process. I smiled.

She was almost all the way down the rope when she plopped daintily into the water with a small splash, and then began pacing to the shore. I was in the mood to annoy her, so I scooped my hand into the water and flung it in her direction, making it splash her in the back. Her shirt quickly soaked through in spots and clung to her.

The moment the water touched her, she froze mid-step. She slowly turned around to glare at me, and then I noticed a devilish glint in her eyes. My face straightened out and then I was greeted in the face with a large amount of water, courtesy of Kagome.

I heard her faint laughter as she made it to shore, and I could see in her face she was just daring me to splash her again. I had a feeling the next thing to hit my face would be sand if I did, so I just splashed through the water and stopped at her side. She arched a brow as she looked up at me, and I just grinned down at her, wriggling my eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes and started to make her way to the street. We began the short journey to Sango's. When we passed the bar next door, I could smell coffee and fresh breakfast buns. I looked pleadingly down at Kagome, who sighed and said, "Alright, fine. You have ten minutes."

She walked in with me and sat at a table, while I made my way towards the smell of the bread. I grabbed a couple then paid for them, going back to sit across from Kagome. I stuffed a whole one in my mouth and chewed, looking around the building. It was lighter than before, the shutters pulled back and letting the morning light shine in. A waitress came over to me and offered me a mug filled with steaming coffee, and I gladly took it, sipping it too prevent a burn on my tongue.

I looked at Kagome, who watched me impatiently, and then took a larger gulp of it, which resulted in it burning all the way down my throat. I winced slightly and Kagome smirked, eyes going skyward.

I stuffed the other bun into my mouth and washed it down with the hot coffee, standing and motioning for Kagome to follow. We went next door to Sango's and knocked once on the door before she opened it anxiously, excitement clear on her face.

"Kagome, we're all ready. We have everything we need." Kagome's face brightened and her eyes twinkled in excitement. I stood with a blank, clueless expression on my face.

I followed them in and watched as they both sat at the table, the tattered parchment—a map—sprawled out in front of them. Sango traced lines over it with her finger, Kagome's face getting more and more thrilled with every inch Sango's finger trailed.

I peered down at it questioningly to see what they were so energized about. Sango's finger met the end of its trail and rested on the name of a city. I studied the shape of the continent the city was near, and recognized it as Africa. I froze when I realized the island it was located on: The island I'd been abandoned on.


	11. Chapter 11

_This chapter was edited/revised Tuesday, February 9, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 11**

Kagome glanced up at me, her expression changing when she noticed my sudden tension.

"What's wrong?" she demanded.

"Nothing. Why are we going there?" I pointed to the city.

"Do you remember when you asked me what I wanted most? And I told you it was something you couldn't get?"

"Yeah," I replied warily.

"Sit down. It's a long story," she said.

I pulled a chair up to the table and sat down, trying to figure out what exactly she was after that was on _that_ island, of all places.

She took a deep breath, and Sango rested her chin on the hand she propped up with her elbow. I had a feeling she'd heard this story before—possibly multiple times.

"It was five years ago when I started searching for it. Well, five years ago that it was taken from me. Taken by an evil man, but he killed himself after he hid it from me. I knew where it was, but all my memories up until four years ago were erased by a member of his crew.

"She was an evil woman, and she used dark magic. When she erased my memories, I abandoned my life as a regular person and became a pirate. It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make, but I'm happy with it, now. I learned about myself from my father, whom I found out was a pirate as well. He told me of what happened to me, how my most precious of belongings was taken from me, who took it. But he didn't know where it was; he told me that I was the only one ever to have known where it was other than the man who hid it.

"My father was killed in a battle between pirate captains. He was one captain, and Naraku was the other." Pure, bitter hatred seeped into her voice when she spoke of Naraku, the man we'd fought with just days ago. "He was after me, and my memories. But he was…different from any human being I'd ever seen. He healed—no, he didn't even get _cut_ when someone attacked him. It was as if we were trying to defeat a ghost. Impossible.

"So my father was slain, brutally, in front of my eyes on the deck of his ship. I was not far from him, and his blood stained my hands, knees, and clothes where I'd knelt on the deck, my knees having given out from my shock and fear. I was in a pool of his blood when Naraku finally noticed me, a young girl wearing tattered clothes and sobbing." I didn't miss the faintest hint of agony in her voice as she recalled the death of her father.

"He walked towards me, and he told me I would be next. But first, he wanted to enter my mind. He wanted to take me with him and shift through memories that even I didn't even know how to reach. I felt so shaken, so angry, and so sad that I could do nothing to save myself from whatever torture he had in mind for me.

"But then, another ship came and began attacking Naraku's crew. He was still focusing on me, and I could _feel_ him prodding at the corners of my mind, _feel_ his presence inside and out. It was the most terrifying, violated feeling I've ever experienced. He couldn't find anything he was looking for, and when he seemed like he was either about to kill me or take me to a more powerful being to search my mind, he cried out in pain.

"He hunched over and turned, and I caught a glimpse of a man, arm still extended, and then I saw the dagger protruding from Naraku's back. Unlike any of the weapons of my father's crew, it stayed where it was, fierce and true. It was beautiful, like it was glowing and changing colors. Naraku cried out again as the man threw another blade, this one sticking in Naraku's shoulder.

"The next thing I knew, before I could blink Naraku was gone, as if he just disappeared. The man with the strange weapons took me to his ship. I met a girl my age there—his daughter. She helped me clean the spilt blood of my father off of myself and then gave me new clothes. It was the first time I'd worn a dress in ages." Kagome smiled faintly at the memory.

"When we made port they asked me if I wanted to continue to stay with their crew, and I declined. I told them I had a more important task to see to, one that couldn't possibly be put on hold. We stayed in the city for two months, and the man and his daughter taught me how to fight. When I told them of my plans for destroying Naraku, they supplied me with the proper weapons for any chance encounters with him that I might have had. They were all like the ones that had made Naraku cry out in pain.

"When they left, I stayed in the city for almost a year, saving money to buy a ship and trying to create a crew for myself. There are only a handful of members that are still with me, the others having died or left me. Once I was fully prepared to take on Naraku at any time, we set sail in search for the hidden place. From time to time, I would see or visit the man and his crew who had helped me back then.

"When I learned of a map that could help me to find what I was looking for, I went from port to port to try and find it. I finally came to Tortuga one day, to restock, and I ran into the girl who was the daughter of the man who helped me. She told me she could help me, and that she might know where the map was. She also told me that she'd seen the map before, and knew it took a certain skill to read it—a skill she possessed.

"I met with her on and off over the next few years, every time coming back to find that neither of us had had any luck in finding the map. And one day I got a lead that it was somewhere in the Americas, and we pulled into port in Nouvelle-Orleans. We were about to start planning our next move, when _somebody_ was heard trespassing on our ship. The rest you know." She took a deep breath.

"The daughter of the man who helped you," I repeated. "So you and Sango have known each other that long?"

She smiled. "Yes. And don't think that I haven't asked her to try and remove the block in my mind, the one that keeps my memories from me," she said. "She couldn't find them either."

"So, what's this thing that was taken from you? The thing that was so important?" I asked.

Her face fell slightly, though she had regained her excitement over the map sprawled across the table—the apparently infamous one. "My father didn't tell me that. I don't even know. I don't think he did, either."

"So, we're looking for something…but we don't have the slightest idea what?" I asked. "Well, I'm in."

"Don't be sarcastic," Kagome said, frowning at me.

"I'm not," I replied, completely serious. It was the truth; I was going to help her.

She looked at Sango. "Why do we have to go to all the other places first?" she asked. "Why can't we go straight there?"

"I'm not sure. It's the only way that was revealed when I finally figured out the code of the map," Sango stated. "It was either that or criss-crossing all over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, which I assumed wouldn't really help you."

"Well, then I guess we've got our course set for when we leave Tortuga. I have to wait for the repairs of my ship to be completed though," Kagome said. "You're coming with us this time, right?"

"Of course. I've finally got a reason to leave this city." Sango sounded like she'd grown very tired of 'this city.'

Kagome laughed and I stood up, stretching. She looked at me. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To help finish repairing the ship," I told her.

She stared at me for a moment. "I'll go too."

I was a bit surprised, but I didn't say anything. We said goodbye to Sango and walked back to the ship in silence. When we got close to the shore, Kagome walked ahead of me and reached the nearest crew-member first.

"How much damage?" she asked him.

"It isn't as bad as we thought. She should be good as new with a couple days' work."

Kagome smiled and we went to the side of the ship, inspecting the large, splintered hole in the side. Then Kagome turned and followed a man to a pile of plywood, helping him lift a plank.

I asked the nearest person what I should do, and was handed a hammer and told to remove any wood that was in need of replacing. So, I got to work, occasionally working side by side with Kagome or some other crew mate. I was starting to think that being with these people for the next five years wouldn't be so bad after all.


	12. Chapter 12

_This chapter was edited/revised Tuesday, February 9, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 12**

We set sail, and it wasn't long until I was in an argument with Kagome. Heh.

"Inuyasha, I already told you, _no_!" Kagome repeated.

"Why the hell not?" I demanded. "Do you _want_ to let your crew die?"

"Of course not, you idiot! Why would I want that?"

"Well, if you don't tell them soon, I _will_," I finished, standing up straight with my arms folded. Being taller than her really helped give the shadowy/towering-over-her-menacingly thing a nice effect. I smirked.

She huffed. "Don't. You. _Dare_."

"You gonna stop me?" I taunted.

"Yes, and then _you_ are going to pout in a corner because I beat you." Hm. She didn't seem too affected by my shadow covering her. Damn.

"Keh. Like you could."

She stepped closer to me, and I was suddenly alert. I stared down at her nervously. She stretched up on her tiptoes and stared back at me, her face inches from mine. But she wasn't nervous. She was a bit scary, in truth. "You wanna bet?" she whispered. I blinked.

Whoa.

"W-what?" I stuttered, wincing as I fumbled over my words.

She smirked. She was still standing _very_ close to me. "You. Me. Sword-fight."

"You're kidding," I scoffed.

"Nope," she said, stepping back. "Unless, of course, you're afraid you'll lose to a girl…"

The devil. This woman was the devil. She had to be. There's no other way she could be so manipulative.

I straightened up again, narrowing my eyes at her. "You're on."

She smiled. "I'll meet you on the main deck shortly then."

It was—finally—my turn to smile. "You wanna fight fair? Good luck with that. We're _pirates_."

She had already begun walking towards the deck, her back facing me. She stopped. I could tell she was thinking about my words, calculating the meaning…

In a flash, I was across the deck to where she stood, and the sound of metal rang through the silent ship. She stared up at me, her arms shaking slightly from the blow. They were held up, her cutlass against mine.

I half-smiled. "Nice block."

I quickly began arcing and slashing my sword and she blocked every one. She pushed me back with enough force that I stumbled back a couple steps, and then I was the one on the defense, while she swung her sword like a mad woman.

A very skilled mad woman, I might add. She grunted with effort, and we were both sweating. The entire crew was frozen, tense. Their eyes locked on us as we moved across the decks. Waiting for me to get a hit in so they could break up the swordplay, have a reason to hit me themselves. She wouldn't give up a decent fight that easily.

We circled for a moment, thinking two steps ahead of our next moves. If she went for a hit now, I could block her and, from this angle, get her sword away from her, thus winning. If I made the same move, she would dodge me and have an open target. What to do, what to do…

It seems we were on the same track. Just as I began to tense for a heavy blow aimed at her, she took a step forward and arced her sword, the air whistling as the cutlass blew past my head.

I staggered a few steps, turning in shock at what just happened. We had predicted each others' moves, and then acted with our own at the same moment. She stared back with wide eyes. She was startled too.

We stood staring for a long minute, both of our chests heaving from all the effort exerted in the past twenty minutes. Suddenly, a sound caught my attention. I turned my eyes upward, and I saw a rope ended in metal clinking its way up the side of the mast it was looped on. I didn't quite understand the contraption at first, but I soon saw the pirate flag that began waving in the wind.

I looked back at Kagome. Blinked. She blinked too. I lowered my sword. She did at the same time. I had the strange urge to laugh. She began giggling. We were both soon in a fit of laughter in the middle of the deck. Weird, no?

Once we finally caught a hold of ourselves, we were sitting side by side on the deck, legs stretched out in front of us with our cutlasses strewn lazily to our sides. I looked at her. The crew went back to work a while ago, clearly uninterested in a couple of people laughing like maniacs.

"Well," I said. "Who won?"

She tilted her head as she stared up at the sky, shades of pink, orange, red, and yellow streaking it. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

I was completely ready when she lifted her cutlass and swung it at me, but the metallic clang still rang in my ears as we stared at each other over our crossed swords, serious now. I leapt to my feet.

She scrambled to hers. She ducked just in time to dodge a wide swing and then she swung hers, still crouched. I jumped. It whirred beneath me. She jabbed, and stood up as I jumped back to avoid it. We fought for what seemed like a long time, but the sun was still edged on the horizon when…

I winced. I looked down and saw the trickle of blood ooze from the thin cut on my upper right arm. It wasn't deep, but it was several inches long. I dropped my sword reflexively, as the slight throbbing had made my tightly clenched hand ache. I held up my hands as I stepped away. She smirked.

"You haven't beaten me."

"You haven't cut me," she countered.

"Technicalities," I dismissed, waving my hand.

"Well, once you're cut has healed, we shall have a rematch." She paused. "We'll make the rules of winning clearer. Whoever bleeds first is the loser."

"Simple," I commented. "Alright then."

She looked at the narrow cut she'd managed to create and I could tell she wanted to grin. She tilted her head in a motion for me to follow her as she began walking towards a small cabin I'd never been in. We walked in and I turned right back around.

A doctor? Seriously? A tiny cut just needs to be cleaned, which can be done pretty easily by oneself.

"Inuyasha, where are you going?" Kagome called.

"I don't need a doctor."

"But you're cut—"

"Is just a little cut. It's fine. _I'm_ fine. I'll see ya later."

I walked out to the front deck and stared out at the horizon as the sun finished setting, taking its canvas of colors with it. I sighed. Kagome could be pretty dense sometimes.

A doctor. Puh.

I don't need a doctor. It's just a little cut.

I reflexively put a hand over the cut. I could feel the wet and dry blood.

I glanced behind me, and then back at the sea.

_Huh, for a little cut, it sure does have a lot of blood… _

I glanced towards the little cabin. I hesitated before looking back at the water.

I tried to reason with myself, convince myself that it was just a little cut that happened to have a lot of blood.

My arm began to numb, from _lack_ of blood I assumed.

Okay, maybe not _sooo_ little. But hardly anything to worry about. I glanced at the railing as blood dripped from between my fingers onto the wood.

I involuntarily inched towards the little medical cabin. I was rather close now, compared to before.

Well, maybe _one_ little bandage wouldn't hurt….


	13. Chapter 13

_This chapter was edited/revised Tuesday, February 9, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 13**

Quite frankly, I was annoyed. Very. Angry even. The word "patient" would not be one to use with me. Ever.

Kagome couldn't seem to understand that.

"How much farther?" she asked Miroku, who stood at the helm while Kagome…_hovered,_ is the only word to describe it.

He sighed. "Until what?"

She gave him a funny look. "Until we reach the island, of course!"

"I don't know, Miss Kagome," Miroku replied through his teeth.

Her face flickered with apprehension but she remained silent, walking to the edge of the deck and tapping her fingers on the rail. I walked up to her.

"Why haven't we found a damn thing yet?" I demanded. "And I swear to god, if you tell me to 'be patient' one more time I will not hesitate to throw you into the ocean."

She didn't say anything for a long time. She seemed to be thinking about it. "I don't _know_," she groaned.

I was a little surprised. No wonder she always told me the same thing; she didn't have an answer even for herself.

"Oh," I said, somewhat stupidly. I mentally cringed. "Are you up for another round then?"

Ever since that first day of sailing we'd had little competitions of sword-fighting at least once a week…except if the wound either of us had wasn't ready to be stressed by then. We were pretty tied up on winning and losing by now.

She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Not right now. Thanks, though."

She reflexively put a hand to the small, almost-healed cut on her forearm. I held back a smirk. My latest victory.

"We haven't made port in so long, Captain," Miroku called. "_Too_ long. We're going to run out of food and supplies."

"We have to reach the city before Naraku learns of it. We can't stop." Her voice wavered. She knew he was right, but she was just so anxious all the time. Always running, it seemed.

"Kagome," I said. She looked at me. "We can spare a couple days. We've been on this crazy course Sango made for a _year_. Not once has he shown up."

She hesitated. "What are we close to?"

"Asia," Miroku sighed. "Japan, Russia…"

"We'll dock in Japan for three days _only_. We leave with what we manage to board."

Miroku sighed in relief, and then shot an appreciative glance towards me. I inclined my head slightly.

I, however, was starting to get knots in my stomach. I restrained from grinding my teeth together. "Which port in Japan?" I managed to ask in a tight voice.

Kagome looked at me, confused by my suddenly tense posture and expression. "Probably Ise Bay. Miroku?"

"Yep."

I sighed. Well, this was just peachy. Not only did I once live in Ise City, right by Ise Bay, I almost got married there. And my damn half-brother lives there. Like I said, _peachy_.

This should be interesting.

"Why do you ask?" I looked at Kagome, letting the irony sink in.

"Oh, no reason." I paused. "It's just that my brother lives there."

"Really?" We both just looked at the deep blue ocean waters for a minute, me basking in the unwelcome mockery of Fate and Kagome seeming deep in thought. "Wait. You have a brother?"

"Half-brother."

She nodded. "I see."

I noticed the sorrowful look in her eyes. "What?"

"My father told me I had a little brother. But I don't remember him." She laughed once quietly, without humor. "I haven't met him, at least…not in a long time."

We were both quiet for a long time before she decided to find Sango. I walked over to stand a few feet from where Miroku still stood behind the helm—I didn't like close proximity and I figured he was sick of the hovering feeling from Kagome.

"So, how long till we make port?" I asked flatly, not at all enthused at the thought of better food, like I would have been if we were docking anywhere else (we'd been eating the same thing every day for _at least_ a month and a half now).

"Oh, a day or two I would say."

"Huh."

The conversation ended there. Never did have much of a 'chat' or anything remotely close to it with anyone but Kagome or sometimes Sango. Even after a year.

I thought of the last time I'd seen my brother. We'd had an interesting "goodbye".

_I stood in the grass lawn in front of my home, staring with hatred at the flowers planted in the garden in front of me. I heard the front door close but didn't look to see who it was. I didn't care even a little. _

_In truth, I was furious. Beyond furious. And though I would never admit it, I was hurt. I suddenly tore out of the jacket I was wearing, unable to stand it anymore. It had no use anyway. It was meant for a wedding, not everyday. I threw it savagely into the ground and stepped on it once. _

"Inuyasha,"_ I heard a soft voice call. I ignored her. I could sense her hesitation. _"Inuyasha?"

_She was probably just worried about me. I didn't understand why. I'd never done much for her. Why the hell should she care about how I felt? _

_I felt a hand gently placed on my shoulder. I would have shrugged it off, but I didn't care enough about anything to go through the motion. I just continued to glare at the flowers I madly wanted to tear up and destroy but couldn't. They were my mother's, and now they belonged to the woman who was trying to comfort me. _

"What do you want?" _I asked harshly, not lifting my gaze from the offending blossoms._

"I found this…"_ I turned my head slightly to the side, so I could see what she had. She held a small ivory envelope. My name was written on it. _

"She'll come back," _I said, not believing the words. _

"She's gone, Inuyasha. She only left this letter." _The kind woman who somehow loved my stupid, cruel brother held out the envelope. I stared at it for a long moment. She stayed and waited patiently. Her hand didn't even shake. _

_I finally took it. She slowly turned and walked back inside, taking one last worried glance of me._

_I only stared at the elegant curves of the letters. The script was painfully familiar. I wondered what she thought as she'd written my name one last time. _

_I opened it slowly. I pulled out the thick parchment paper inside. More of the familiar handwriting. _

_Dearest Inuyasha,  
__I'm very sorry. I won't ask you to forgive me. I just couldn't do it. I'm not the right woman for you. You aren't the right man for me. I should never have let us get so involved. I'm sorry._

_-Kikyo_

_I crumpled the paper in my hand and let my fingers stay in the white-knuckled fist around the last thing she gave me. Was it possible to feel dead? And more than once in a single day? More than once just seemed unfair, like there should be some sort of rule against it. _

_But then, nothing's fair. Ever. _

_I turned and stalked towards the house, not bothering to slam the door. Like I said, I felt dead. Though I was also filled with anger, I felt numb. Lifeless. _

_My brother was in the study, and didn't even glance up when I walked past the open door. I went to the kitchen. I opened the trash can and threw the balled up paper into it, making sure it reached the bottom. _

"Inuyasha?"_ Sesshomaru's wife called again. _"Do you want anything? Tea? Coffee?"

"No, Rin. Thanks," _I said through my teeth, trying to control my anger before I let it out on the wrong person. Rin was definitely the wrong person. _

_Sesshomaru, on the other hand…_

_Nope. Really not worth it. _

_I finally decided what I wanted to do then. I was walking so quickly I was nearly running when I began to make my way up the stairs, to my room. I pulled out a knapsack and began stuffing clothes into it. I pulled it shut and went back down the stairs, straight for the front door. _

"Where are you going?" _called Rin, quickly walking out the kitchen, through the hall and past Sesshomaru's study. I kept going. _"Inuyasha!"

_As soon as Rin showed any sign of distress, _of course_ Sesshomaru was at her side. _"Do not behave so rudely, little brother."

_That made me stop dead in my tracks. I turned slowly on my heel. _"Who says I have to listen to _you_?"

_Rin's anxiety showed plain on her face. She looked up at Sesshomaru, who's arm was wrapped around her waist, and then to me. _"Where are you going?"_ she asked again quietly, sounding like a plea. _

"Away from here."

"But why?"_ she asked, her voice hitching faintly. _

"Because if I stay here, I'll lose my mind."_ I turned to start walking again, to start escaping again. _"Goodbye, Rin. _Big brother_."

"Will you come back?"_ she asked. _

"Probably not."

_I was just out of the house, but I still heard it when she mumbled, "I'll miss you. Be safe."_

As I came out of the memory, I noticed Kagome standing next to me again. I wondered how long I'd been staring into nothing, nothing but the dark abyss that was the ocean.

"One of the first things I ever asked my father after losing my memory was 'Father, where's my mother?'" she said quietly. "I was reminded of that the last time Naraku attacked."

"Why?" I asked quietly.

"He was sorting through my memories."

"So…when Naraku attacked and you were curled up on the deck, he was…"

"Yes," she said solemnly. She looked up at me, directly in the eye. "He was inside my head again." She looked back to the horizon.

I didn't know what to say, so I remained silent. It was a comfortable silence, though. I'd grown used to her presence. Welcomed it, even.

"Why did this have to happen to _me_?" she asked, barely loud enough for me to hear. It sounded like she was only asking herself. I stiffened when I saw the glisten of moisture on her cheek.

"Kagome, don't cry," I said anxiously. Without thinking, I reached up and held the side of her face with my right hand, wiping away the tears with my left. She was so stunned that she stopped crying altogether.

As soon as I realized this, I let go of her, turning away slightly.

"I'll be in the galley, if you need me," I said hastily, rushing away to said place. As soon as I got there, I leaned on the counter, heaving a sigh and shaking my head at myself.

So much for getting used to being around her…


	14. Chapter 14

_This chapter was edited/revised Tuesday, February 9, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 14**

I was sure my grimace would stay glued to my face until we left this godforsaken place, but you never know. I glared at the ever-approaching docks that were just minutes away.

"Something wrong, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, and her tone sounded like it was supposed to be teasing but there was too much strain in it for it to be convincing.

"No," I replied bleakly, looking down at her. "You?"

She glanced up at me and it was easy to see the answer. "No," she lied.

She quickly looked back to the docks, and it almost was as if she was as unhappy about them as I was, if that were possible. It felt like no time at all when the slight jostling of the ship reaching the docks followed by the routine yells the crew shouted to each other began.

I trailed a little behind Kagome, Sango to her right. I would have smiled at the apparent annoyance Sango showed as Miroku tried to make conversation with her, but I was too dejected about where we were. Smiling seemed foreign.

"Inuyasha, make yourself useful start helping out with the loading," commanded Kagome. It was entertaining to watch her discomfort with being on land. I walked over to follow the group of crewmen that was headed towards one of the buildings that held shipments.

As I hulled the crate of whatever back to the ship's cargo hold, I wondered idly if maybe I could get away with avoiding my "family" entirely. I doubted it. Someone was bound to recognize me—I hadn't changed _that_ much since the time I left, roughly five years ago—and tell Rin, at least. I really would never be in the mood to deal with a stupid lecture from Sesshomaru for disappointing her.

Once the thought crossed my mind, I couldn't let it go. It was just too inviting. I wouldn't be able to help myself now, not once the idea of just showing up completely out of the blue was there. And I could only imagine what Sesshomaru's expression would be.

Against my earlier predictions, I grinned.

I wondered if I should bring Kagome… It was probably not the best idea, but I still considered it for some reason. I bet Rin would take it way out of hand and want to start wedding plans…

I cringed away from any thoughts that involved _marriage_. I never planned to consider that again. Too much work for something really not worth it.

I finished my job stacking the crates for the day; we would have to wait for tomorrow's shipments to arrive before we could finish stocking the things we needed. I began walking down one of the all-too-familiar streets, heading towards Ise City. I couldn't decide if I should just go to my former home or find something to eat. It wasn't like I had much money on me, but my stomach growled in favor of the second option.

As I turned the corner, I happened to see Kagome. She was walking out of a small shop with Sango right behind her. I watched to see what they would do, feeling stupid for considering hiding…and spying. But then the ideas sounded rather tempting. I must be going insane.

I ducked into the inset doorway of a building, too distracted to look at the sign to see what it was. I peeked around the corner, wishing I could hear just a little better but the noise on the street and my human ears couldn't quite pick out their words. I saw they were walking in my direction, but then they paused outside another shop. It was finally close enough for me to hear.

"…and that one looks nice, too," Sango said, I assumed talking about something in a display window.

"Sango, stop changing the subject."

I heard a sigh. "Why is this so important to you?" Sango asked in a slightly exasperated tone.

"Oh, I dunno…" Kagome with a sarcastic edge. Of course. "You are my closest and dearest friend. We have always told each other everything. Do you not trust me? With this tiny, little thing I'm asking that should be so much easier to talk about than a lot of other things?"

"Alright! Enough with the guilt trip." Sango took a deep breath, probably to calm her nerves or something. I was still totally lost as far as the subject matter of the conversation went, but it was oddly intriguing to listen to this side of Kagome I had never really seen.

"How do you feel about him?" Kagome pressed impatiently. I was suddenly not sure if I liked where this was going.

"It seems…I have developed feelings for that grossly obscene moron."

I blinked once, put a fist to my mouth and bit down on my knuckles, and stifled the uproarious laughter that would surely get me caught. I took a deep breath, pressing my lips tightly together.

"I knew it!" Kagome exclaimed. "So…what does this mean? What are you going to do?"

"I don't _know_," Sango groaned, clearly ready to move on and talk about something else that she understood better. Like fighting or weapons or killing things… "I'm only twenty, Kagome. I still have so much time before I wanted to think about this kind of stuff..."

I decided I really didn't care about this enough to keep listening—I already got my laugh. I backed through the open door and turned.

And then I stopped dead in my tracks.

Sitting at a table, back facing me and with a young girl by her side, was Rin. I quickly searched the room for Sesshomaru, but he wasn't anywhere I could see. I thought about turning around. I noticed Rin's hair had grown long, closer to her waist than the middle of her back.

The young child that sat, squirming, to the right of Rin had the same dark brown hair, long, wispy curls down her back. She turned her head and saw me, and then hid behind her hair, peeking through it to see me still staring. She giggled.

Rin turned to her, smiling from what I could see of her face. She always smiled. She gently pulled the hair from the girl's hand and tucked it tenderly behind her ear, clearly holding so much love for the girl I couldn't even fathom it.

She didn't glance to see what her daughter had been looking at—me—she just stared down at the child's face. I could see the little girl's face a bit better now. She looked so much like Rin, but she also had hints of her father in her features. Her nose was straight, thin, defined like Sesshomaru's. The soft arch of her eyebrows matched Rin, but the set of her lips was definitely Sesshomaru. The color of her eyes was different than what I'd expected—they were golden, like Sesshomaru's.

I couldn't move. I just stared at the girl. She was my niece, I realized with a sudden shock. _Of_ _course_ _she is_. It was stupid of me to be shocked by it. She looked about four years old. They must have had her not long after I left.

I took a hesitant step forward, but my body turned more towards the exit, as if I were about to spin around and make a run for it. I thought about it. It was very appealing. But I'd forgotten how much I actually _liked_ Rin. She was much more enjoyable than my half-brother, by miles.

I was about to take another step forward, but I felt a tap on my shoulder that just about made me jump out of my skin. I spun around and then let out an irritated sigh.

"Don't _do_ that," I snapped at Kagome, who was looking up at me curiously. She narrowed her eyes briefly in a flash of annoyance, but quickly composed herself.

"I was just saying hello. No need to be such a grouch. What are you doing anyway?" She went to peer around my shoulder but I moved with her. She gave up quickly. "Why were you just standing here?"

"Because, I was…just thinking about something." I rubbed the back of my head nervously. "And hello."

Her face went blank in surprise at the last part, probably because my tone became noticeably different from the edgy one I'd had at first.

It worked in distracting her long enough for me to grab her arm and pull her back onto the street. I released her arm but put a hand behind her, barely touching the small of her back. I smirked when a delicate shiver ran down her spine. I didn't know where I was taking her, just as long as it was away from them.

"Where are we going—?" she asked, and loud music starting up in a bar we passed cut her off. She stopped to stare into it, and I stopped with her, dropping my hand.

"What? You want to go in there?" I asked her.

She didn't respond, just stared interestedly into the bar where people danced and laughed and drank, her head tilted slightly to the side.

I waved a hand in front of her face. "Hello? Earth to Kagome."

She blinked and shook her head, looking up at me. "U-um, no. But where are we going?"

"I don't know. Where do you want to go?"

She looked around. "You said you had family here—did you live here?"

I couldn't hide the frown when she brought up the one thing I didn't want to talk about. "Yeah."

"Um…" She paused, either in hesitation or thought. I couldn't tell for sure. "You could give me a tour of the city, maybe." She seemed strangely nervous.

I pursed my lips. "It's getting late. Are you sure?"

"Yes. Unless there is some sort of crime rate at night I'm unaware of…?" A joking tone now.

"No." I smiled. "But do you really think either of us would have the lower hand in a fight against that kind of criminal anyway?"

She smiled a little too. "Right, pirates. It's so easy to forget sometimes."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Easy to forget," I repeated. "Hardly."

"Well, for me it is." She was defensive now. She crossed her arms and stared straight ahead. We were walking down a street that I knew like the back of my hand. I used to run errands for the man who ran the general store not a block away whenever I had spare time, which was a lot.

For some reason, I didn't want her to be so far from me. She was walking, her posture isolating, a few feet from me. I stepped closer, trying not to be obvious about it.

I watched her from the corner of my eyes as we silently walked down the dark street, now lit by the dim lanterns. She seemed deep in thought. She shivered.

"Are you cold?" I asked her. She seemed surprised.

"A little," she admitted.

"C'mon." I put an arm around her shoulder—she seemed so small, her shoulders so thin—and led her more quickly towards a shop I liked as a kid. She didn't object, to my astonishment, to the contact. She almost seemed to lean into me, only for warmth, probably.

As we walked through the door, the small place was empty but warm. I walked up to the counter while she sat down close to the fireplace that was crackling. I leaned over the counter and peered through the open doorway that led to the small back room.

"Hey!" I called. "What's with the service around here?"

I could hear the footsteps as the old man stalked from the back room, his expression disgruntled. He was rubbing his hands off on a tattered old towel, water dripping down to his elbows. He was gruff, his pale eyes deep-set and wise. He had even less white hair than the last time I'd seen him, which made him nearly bald, though the top of his head was already bare and shiny in the light, as it had always been.

Then he saw me. He stopped and blinked a couple times, confusion sweeping across his features. "Inuyasha?" he asked in is rasping old voice. "That really you?"

"Of course, who else would it be?" A grin was slowly spreading across my face. "When are you gonna serve us up something to eat?"

"Us?" The old man swept his small bar and his eyes landed on Kagome's small form seated next to the fire. She stared into the flames. "Oh, I see."

I frowned when I saw the conclusion he was drawing in his head. "S'not like that," I said quietly. He glanced suspiciously between the two of us, but said nothing more.

"What can I get ya?" he asked after a short silence.

"Kagome?" I called. Her head snapped up and she focused on me, though her gaze flickered curiously to the old man a couple times. "What do you want to eat?"

"Oh, you don't have to do that—"

"I'm not," I cut her off. "Who said I have any money on me?"

She rolled her eyes but walked over to the bar. "What is there to choose from?" she asked me.

"Why are you asking me?" I tilted my head towards the old man. "He's the one that owns the place. Kagome, this is Yoshiro." I turned to the old man. "Yoshi, Kagome."

"Nice to meet ya," said Yoshi, smiling his brittle smile. He held his wrinkled hand over the counter.

Kagome reached up shyly and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, too," she said. I held back a laugh at her slightly bewildered smile.

"So, what can I get for you kids?"

"Something simple. And cheap." I glanced down at Kagome. "That okay with you?"

She raised her eyebrow. "I suppose, since I _am_ paying," she replied wryly.

"How 'bout a couple of rice bowls and fish? Caught the fish myself just this morning," he added proudly.

"Sounds good. How much?" asked Kagome.

"Oh, don't you worry about it. It's on the house." He smiled widely down at her.

"Well, thank you. That's very kind of you," she said. He chuckled as he went to the back room and began clinking around dishes.

"So, what do you think of my…hometown?" I asked her.

She smiled. "So far, so good. No samurais or anything have tried to get me."

"Yet," I added. She laughed.

It was quiet for a while. When Yoshi came out with two smooth wooden bowls, heaped and steaming with food, we both waited hungrily while he set them in front of us. He walked back to the back room to clean up as we ate.

When we finished, we said goodbye to Yoshi and walked out into the surprisingly cool street. "Where are we going now?" she asked indifferently.

"To the ship."

"Why?" she asked, too quickly, and then she ducked her head and I knew it was because she was blushing. I smiled.

"What would _you_ like to do, then?" I asked.

"I don't know." She thought about it briefly, and I could sense her hesitation. I hoped it wasn't over what I thought it was. "Are you planning on visiting your family here?"

I frowned and didn't try to hide it. "I guess."

"Oh."

It fell silent. It was a slightly awkward silence, of course.

When we reached the ship, she stopped and stared out at the water. I stared with her. We didn't say anything still. I let my thoughts wander, the silence no longer mattering to either of us.

What could possibly be so important that we need to voyage around the freaking world just to find it? Especially when we could've easily charted a course directly to the damn city, across just _one_ ocean? We'd have been long gone by now. But instead we were religiously sticking to Sango's crazy mapping. It seemed stupid to me. But I got no say in it—I was supposed to be a "prisoner." And I would stay that way for four more years.

I sighed. This better not take another four years.

"What are you thinking about?" Kagome asked softly, still staring at the black sloshing waters.

I glanced at her. "Nothing much. You?"

"My family." She closed her eyes.

_Ah jeez. Please don't cry!_

"Yeah? Families are…" I searched for the right word. Troublesome. Difficult. Annoying…

"Rare," she finished. "That's the only word I can think of."

"Well, I would have said something more like irritating, but that works."

"I wouldn't know if they were irritating." She slowly lifted her head to look me straight in the eye. I winced internally because they glimmered with too much moisture at the rims. "I don't have one…" She looked away.

"Kagome." She had her arms wrapped tightly around her self and her eyes squeezed shut. "Kagome?"

"What?" she replied, her voice shaking. I hesitated. "What do you want?"

I sighed and then pulled her into my arms, hugging her to my chest. "Don't say that. You have a family."

She was frozen. She still answered, "No, I don't."

I rolled my eyes. So she would be stubborn, then? "Who says family has to be related by blood? Sango, Miroku…aren't they anything to you?"

"Yes. But it's not the same. I want a _mother_. I want my father." She was crying now—I could feel the moisture on my shirt and the slight shaking of her shoulders. "Why did this happen to me?"

I stayed quiet; I didn't have an answer for her. I just stared to the side, trying to make a decent response lift right out of the Pacific. Nothing. I had absolutely nothing to say to her question.

She suddenly pushed me away, her expression angry. "Why do you keep doing this to me?" she demanded.

I blinked; my mind went blank with surprise. "Doing what?"

"You—you get so close to me and…" She looked around, trying to put her scattered thoughts into a coherent sentence. I waited, unable to understand. "You do things like hugging me or brushing my face with your hand _so_ softly…"

I stared at her, and guilt seeped into my mind. I couldn't think of an explanation for my actions—for her or myself.

She continued. "Why? You do these things and then you just _run away_, saying nothing…. And—and you have no _idea_ how it affects me." Her voice became softer, but strained with some sort of anguish. Then anger flitted across her features again. "You don't stick around long enough _to_ know!"

"Kagome, I—"

"I'm not finished!" she snapped. "And then you keep doing it again and again. Do you know how much time I have _wasted_ trying to figure this out? Any grasp of how many times I have just tried to pass it off as nothing?" She paused, but not long enough for an answer. "But then you do something else and I can't accept just _nothing_ again until I battle it over in my head for another seemingly endless time."

I waited, expecting more but completely clueless as to what more there could possibly be. I watched as she took a few deep breaths. "I'm done," she said steadily, staring at the wooden planks of the pier we stood on.

"I'm…sorry." My voice sounded strangled.

She stared up at me with half-crazed eyes. "That's _it_? That's all you're going to say, _'I'm sorry'_?"

"I don't know what else to say!"

"How about giving me something I can wrap my mind around, something that will make all of this make _sense_?"

"I don't know why!" I sighed. "I really have nothing to tell you. If I had an answer I would give it to you, but I don't so you're just going to have to deal."

I watched her, my own irrational anger starting to simmer down. She seemed to take in each word one at a time, each one slowly sinking in.

She looked back up at me, and I couldn't read her eyes in the violet darkness. I saw that she blinked a couple times, looked back to the ocean, and then shifted her weight tensely to the other side.

I waited, half expecting her to push me off the pier. But, as she took a slow step forward, one that I barely registered, she seemed to have resolved something in her mind, and I had no way to know what she would do.

She looked up at me, her eyes glinting for a brief second from the light of the gibbous moon. They were softer than I had expected. I still had no idea what was raging behind them.

And then she quickly took one more step forward, snaked her arms up around my neck, and pressed her lips to mine.

I was frozen in absolute shock for a half a second, but then I couldn't think of anything other than the fact that she was clutching me to her, and I was wrapping my arms around her waist to pull her closer against my chest; anything to close the nonexistent distance left between us.

One hand stayed securely around her waist while the other weaved through her soft hair and fisted behind her neck. I leaned over, leaning her body with my own. Her eyes fluttered open for a short moment, her eyelashes brushing my cheeks, and I felt it when she tensed.

She pulled her face away. She slowly slid her hands down from my neck until they rested against my chest. When I felt the light pressure of her push against my chest, I let go of her. It was unexpectedly more difficult than I thought it would be, letting go.

We both breathed heavily, raggedly, unevenly. We stared at each other with wide eyes. When the space between us seemed too much, I squeezed my eyes shut before opening them and taking a hurried stride forward. I pressed my forehead against hers, my hands lightly on her sides.

"I can't exactly run away from _that_."


	15. Chapter 15

_This chapter was edited/revised Thursday, April 1, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 15**

"Kagome?" I whispered, my breathing still heavy. She hadn't moved yet.

I waited while she slowly lifted her hand. She placed it softly on my cheek. "That was real?" she finally whispered back. Her eyes flickered upwards to mine, then refocused on my shoulder.

I laughed, and it sounded breathless. "Sure as hell felt real."

She blinked and lifted her eyes to meet mine. I didn't say anything and still held onto her sides, afraid _she_ might run away this time. I felt cemented in place, so no danger there.

Her fingers curled slightly, gripping my face a bit harder, and I smiled. She closed her eyes.

"Did you want it to be real?" I murmured.

Her eyes snapped back open. I grew more and more anxious as the seconds ticked by silently. She suddenly looked up and her eyes held a fierce sharpness. "Yes," she whispered firmly. "Yes. I did."

I couldn't keep from grinning. She smiled too. And then I couldn't keep from pressing my lips down to hers, just _one_ more time.

She wound an arm around my neck and the other slid around my waist, her hand clutching the back of my shirt. My hands, still resting on her hips, tightened their grip.

The kiss lasted longer this time, but then she pulled away, her face abruptly drawn with anxiety. "Did you?" she asked.

"What?" I asked, confused. After _that_, can you blame me for not being able to think clearly?

"Did you want it to be real?"

I was shocked by the doubtful tension in her voice. It was rather insulting, especially after how I reacted to _her_ answer.

I stared at her face for a brief moment, tracing the lines of her features before I answered, "Yeah."

Relief washed away the doubt and her lips twitched into a small smile. But I was still annoyed at how little faith she seemed to have in me.

She turned her head and leaned it against my chest, and I gently rested my own head on top of hers. I stared out into the ocean, letting the annoyance slip away with the time. The sun had dipped nearly all the way beneath the horizon.

When I glanced down to see Kagome's eyes closed, I gently adjusted to move her toward the ship. Her eyes opened half way and she turned to walk with me. I walked her all the way to her cabin, but remained in front of the door.

She gripped my hand tightly, our fingers intertwined, and I was at first unsure if she would try to pull me into her cabin with her. But she just stood up on her toes and pecked my cheek, whispering a goodnight.

I went to my bunk and stared at the ceiling. And then the onslaught began.

What did this _mean_?

It sure as hell wasn't going to be a short thing. And I had no clue how strongly Kagome felt. Would she want…_marriage_?

A lump formed in my throat. I swallowed reflexively, not that it did any good.

I was fairly sure I couldn't give that to her. But I was also fairly unsure of how much her disappointment would affect me. Maybe I would want that, with her. Maybe with her, I could handle that. Maybe with her, I could forget about everything else and just…just marry her.

Maybe Kagome was the right one. The one K-ki—I mentally stuttered over her name—the right one _she_ said _she_ wasn't. Maybe, just maybe, I could do this.

But then, maybe I couldn't.

I closed my eyes in frustration. All the indecisiveness, the lack of answers, the _maybe'_s, was giving me a headache. I yearned for the carefree unconsciousness of sleep, but it evaded me just enough to make me restless. I turned over and back countless times—not the easiest thing to do in a hammock-bunk.

The other men were all either already snoring away or gradually returning, clomping through the cabin to their own places of slumber. Places of _sleep_. Sleep. Hm.

My thoughts slowed and finally became nothings.

* * *

I woke with a start. Something had shaken my bed, and my doze had been fairly light. I could practically feel the bags under my eyes.

Irritated, I turned my head to the side, peering down to see what had woken me.

I sighed. Of course. _Of course_ Miroku would be the one responsible. My groggy mind just told me to hit him upside the head, but my muscles wouldn't move. I was stiff, and I realized I'd slept with my right arm strewn up above my head the whole night. I could feel no movement as I tried to lift it.

"_What_?" I demanded.

"It's time to start loading the ship again. Kagome's already gone into town with Sango…" He trailed off as I rolled over, putting my back to him. I tested the movement of the fingers on my right hand, and they started to tingle, prickling at the tips and joints.

"Inuyasha," he said in a somewhat firm voice. I ignored him and closed my eyes. "Inuyasha?"

"Go away," I muttered, struggling to get my voice loud enough to sound menacing to any degree. I didn't really succeed. Sometimes life is just tough. I still wasn't getting up.

"We have to load the ship. Captain's orders." I snuggled my head slightly, trying to find a comfortable position for my neck. "We won't be docking for a long time. Do you want to have that disgusting ale and mushy oatmeal-type crap for every meal again?"

I cracked one eye open and glared at the wall. I sighed heavily before swinging my legs quickly over the edge of my bed, nearly kicking Miroku in the process. It was not a mistake, I assure you.

I hopped down the short distance, landing lightly on my feet. I roughly pulled my boots on and stalked past Miroku, hitting his shoulder none too gently with my own.

I paused when I reached the stairs, and turned to him. "You're crazy if you think that shit resembled oatmeal in any way," I told him darkly, then continued upward.

As I hauled the boxes, the inevitable fact that I would have to go visit Rin and Sesshomaru today hit like…like a thousand crates of cargo crushing me. I tossed the crate onto another and stomped up the stairs onto the deck.

As I turned to go back to the dock for some more crates, I ran into a very small someone.

"Oh!" Kagome said as we hit. I automatically reached out and steadied her. "Inuyasha. I was just following you into the hold. I had no idea you'd be back so soon…"

"Sorry. Just thinking." I tried to stop my voice from being as bitter as my thoughts.

She looked up at me worriedly. I could tell she was probably beginning to panic inside. She thought I was having second thoughts about the little incident.

"I have to visit my…_family_ today," I explained through my teeth.

"Oh. Right." She sighed. "I forgot about that."

She bit her lip, looking like she wanted to ask something but hesitation was winning.

"I won't be there long," I said, trying to find the best way to avoid having to extend an invitation to something I didn't even want to do. I was still undecided about her and I being together, but Rin wouldn't know that. "Just a couple hours."

She nodded. She flashed her gaze to my face a couple times and—mercifully—she changed the subject. "So, do you want to ditch the crate stacking or do you enjoy it?"

I raised my eyebrows. "You know the crew will be pissed."

"So? I'm captain. If they try to give me crap, I'll just…take care of it."

I half-smiled and shook my head.

"Well, then let's go," I said. "Where are we going?"

She held out her hand. I took it loosely. She shrugged. "I don't know."

I rolled my eyes. Asinine of me to expect a plan. "I guess we'll just be wandering, then."

"What, you don't have any places you want to take me?"

"Um…"

I thought long and hard. I swear.

"Nope."

She scoffed at me. "Some tour guide you are." She grinned.

We walked in silence up a street until I felt her tug on my hand to make me stop. I turned to look at her. "What?"

"Inuyasha." I wasn't so sure I liked that determined look on her face. "Why don't you like your family?"

I sighed heavily. So much for a subject being dropped. "Well, they don't really like me much," I said bitterly, only thinking of one person in particular. Hey, if I told her how Rin was, she would pry more.

"Come on. They can't be _that_ bad." She searched my face. I opened my mouth to object but she gave me a look that told me she new something was being left out. Clever, clever girl.

"Why do you care?" I argued half-heartedly.

She raised her eyebrows. "Why do you care if I care?" she countered.

"Because…" I paused. Huh. It was a good question, I supposed. "I just do."

She narrowed her eyes. "I want to meet your family," she said firmly.

Ah, crap.

"No."

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because," I said simply. I started walking again.

"That's not an answer!" she sputtered indignantly, scrambling to catch up. "Dammit, Inuyasha, why is this such an issue?"

"You haven't met, or _lived,_ with my family!" I nearly yelled back, receiving some glances. Well, she was raising her voice too. It was called for. I gave her a stern glare. "Drop it."

"No, I will not _drop it_," she hissed. She straightened up, her face going smooth. Uh-oh… "I'm coming with you. You can't stop me from following."

…Dammit all.

"Look, let's just get this over with, okay?" Kagome said to me. "I don't want to be mad."

I scowled and said nothing.

"Inuyasha," she said firmly. "We're doing this. And I have the feeling I could easily find someone to give me directions to your old home if I wanted to, anyway."

I ground my teeth together. "_Fine_," I said. "Come on."

I'm sure she smirked or something, but I was too annoyed and angry to notice it. She pointedly grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

I walked swiftly, and I held back a smirk when she had trouble keeping up. Well, she wanted to go. We were going. At _my_ pace.

* * *

I frowned deeply. The stupid big white house was within sight, and approaching too quickly. I slowed my pace and couldn't help the dragging of my feet. Kagome patted my arm. I glanced down at her.

The entire way she had gripped my hand…really hard. She refused to let the fast-crowding streets sweep her away from me. Determined, that one.

I glared briefly at the flowers that I so loathed, but quickly averted my gaze to the front door. The dirt and gravel road leading to the house was exactly the same. So was the house. And the yard. And _everything_.

I stopped a few feet away from the porch, staring at the front door. I glanced at Kagome, who still looked determined but there was underlying nervousness in her face.

"You sure?" I asked. Not that there was still time to turn back. Stupid question, but hey. It was there.

She nodded her head.

I took the last steps to the porch and reached for the knocker. My hand gripped the cool metal, but I hesitated a few seconds before slamming it down twice.

I waited. I was sure I heard the footsteps approaching. I twitched agitatedly.

The door swung open and I realized then that I was holding my breath. I exhaled quickly before the soft features of Rin peeked around the door, her eyes curious. Not expecting company.

When she looked at me, her eyes became wide as saucers.

"Hey, Rin," I said reluctantly, refraining from the old nervous habit of rubbing the back of my neck.

I heard her exhale rigidly. "Inu…_Inuyasha_?" she breathed incredulously.

"Long time no see, eh?"

Her gaze flickered to Kagome, but she didn't notice our clutched hands. Probably because I tried to hide them behind our backs…

"What are you doing here?" She swung the door open more widely. "I mean, where have you been? It's been three years…"

"Not much. Tracked down my old man…"

"But—isn't he…?"

A pirate? "Yep."

"Oh…_oh_." She must have realized by now. What I was, that is. She recovered from the momentary shock and stepped aside from the doorway. "Come in!"

I nodded and stepped slowly into the house, Kagome still practically clinging to my arm.

"Who's this?" Rin asked gently, eyeing Kagome.

"This is Kagome." I turned to her. "Kagome, this is Rin, my sister-in-law."

"Pleased to meet you," Rin said warmly, smiling at Kagome.

"Yes, it's so nice to meet you too," Kagome replied.

"So…," I began. "Where's…"

"Sesshomaru?" Rin finished. "He's here. In his study, of course."

I pursed my lips, nodding. Well, that was just peachy. Family reunion…hoo-rah…

"Sesshomaru," Rin called, barely raising her voice. He would hear. He was a full-demon.

He was walking silently and swiftly down the hall. He nearly reached her side before pausing to look me and Kagome up and down.

Well. That was rather disappointing. I was hoping for a total look of shock, or an explosion of anger or _something_…

The only sign he was even a little surprised was a slight widening of his eyes, then he immediately regained his composure, and took the last stride to Rin.

"Ah, my foolish half-brother. I would say what a pleasant surprise, but it isn't pleasant in the least," he said. He looked practically the same. Gold eyes. Long silver hair, like our father. Claws. Pointed ears. Cold, impassive expression.

And, of course, hardly an ounce of emotion in his voice.

"And you've brought another human," he continued, slight disgust in his voice.

I felt Kagome cringed ever-so-slightly. Rin lightly slapped his arm. She was the one exception to his hatred of humans.

I had a flash of a memory from when I found out he was courting Rin.

My exact words had been: _"Sesshomaru…I thought you hated humans. Now you're _marrying_ one?"_

I remember he didn't respond too well to that. A swift punch in the gut came to mind…

"Sesshomaru," I said curtly. "I see you haven't changed a bit."

"Why don't you come have some tea?" Rin interjected. She hated the tension. "We can catch up."

She reached forward to drag me into the kitchen when I heard a pair of light, incoming footsteps. I froze.

My niece…but I wasn't supposed to know anything about her, so I shot the best questioning glance towards Rin I could.

She smiled again, her eyes glowing. "I'm so glad you came," she began, "we have someone you should meet."

I glanced at Sesshomaru, curious if he held any emotions about his daughter that became as visible as Rin's. I was shocked when he shot a loving glance towards Rin, and then I couldn't see his eyes as we all turned to see a little girl peek around the corner of the doorway to the kitchen.

"Suzume!" a voice called from deeper within the kitchen. "You mustn't wander—"

When the woman I assumed was a nanny, or possibly the cook or maid, came up behind the girl, she froze when she saw all the eyes on the young girl.

"Oh," she said, recovering. "I see you have company, Miss Rin, Lord Sesshomaru. My apologies."

"Inuyasha," Rin said, calling my attention," this is our daughter, Suzume."

I looked back to the little girl, who looked at me with wide amber eyes. She remembered me from yesterday. That much was clear.

"Suzie," Rin called to her daughter, kneeling down, "come meet your uncle."

Suzume's eyes widened even more in wonder, and she made her way quickly to her mother's open arms.

"Say hello to Inuyasha, Suzume," Rin said in a soft voice meant for speaking to a child.

Her slightly mesmerizing golden eyes bored into mine. "Hello," she said in a soft, quiet voice. It was so…fitting. Her voice was quite beautiful and gentle for a toddler. And _she_ was quite beautiful herself for a toddler.

I nodded to her. I saw the annoyance in Sesshomaru's posture out of the corner of my eye, but ignored him.

"Inuyasha," he said. I looked at him. "Since you were so conveniently gone for the passing of your eighteenth birthday, you did not receive the heirloom at the proper time."

I stared. What the hell was he talking about?

Before I could even open my mouth to ask, he continued, "Father left us two particular items that we were to receive upon becoming eighteen. Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga."

* * *

**A/N: **Ha! I've been trying to figure this twisted plot out in my head, and I'm finally getting to the really good stuff! About freaking time, no? TTFN!


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: ****IMPORTANT****!** In case you didn't know, since it took me a while to decide in the beginning, Inuyasha is _human_. Black hair, dark eyes, no dog ears, etc.

_This chapter was edited/revised Sunday, April 4, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions. Happy Easter!_

**Chapter 16**

"What are those?" I asked.

"Come," Sesshomaru said instead of answering my question. '_Come'_? What did he think I was, a dog?

I followed him and he headed to--the basement? What are these things down there for? Hm. Curiouser and curiouser…

We went down the steps silently. Kagome was still holding onto my arm. Rin was behind us, Suzume crooked on her hip.

While Sesshomaru led us to a shallow wooden chest on a table in the center of the room, it suddenly struck me as odd that _all_ of us needed to be here for me to get a stupid "heirloom". Seriously! It's probably a piece of junk that I'd be stuck hauling around. And the basement was not the biggest space, what with all the storage crowding the walls.

I watched as Sesshomaru opened the chest. To my curiosity (what else is new?) he didn't reach in to get whatever was in it. He stepped aside. He looked at me expectantly.

I'm supposed to get it myself, then? Yeesh. Does whatever he can to avoid having to acknowledge me, the bastard.

I walked up to the open chest and looked in. The inside was entirely lined in red silk. In the middle, lying like it was some precious jewel, was a sword in a black sheath.

I reached in and picked it up, bringing it out slowly. It seemed…old. Like a piece of junk, just as I had guessed.

I slowly took hold of the handle and slid it out of the sheath, interested in the condition of the sword. As I pulled it out the first few inches I saw that it was…

A total piece of shit. It was rusty and looked like it could barely cut butter, let alone a human. I totally unsheathed it and looked it over.

And that's when a very strange feeling coursed through me. Did it—did it just _pulse_? The sword, indeed, looked like it was pulsing…

I got a sudden pounding headache. I put a hand to my head when I was hit with dizziness.

"Inuyasha…?" Kagome called hesitantly. Through my blurry vision, I could only tell that she looked concerned.

I swayed. The sword felt _so_ heavy. I felt my grasp on the sword loosen, and then heard it clatter to the floor, along with the sheath. It felt like cotton was muffling everything.

The pounding in my head decreased somewhat. I blinked a few times and my vision cleared.

The sword lay innocently on the floor beside me. I stared at it.

I glanced up to meet the eyes of Kagome, then moved on the Rin and Suzume. Kagome and Rin looked troubled and frightened. Suzie looked confused, yet she had a strange, knowing look in her eyes. Like she had felt the odd presence of the sword, only she hadn't been affected by it like me. And then I looked at Sesshomaru. He looked angry.

"What just _happened_?" I asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Kagome exclaimed. "You took out the sword and all of a sudden you looked like you were going to pass out!"

I squinted my eyes in concentration. "I got dizzy and then the sword got heavy…and it—it _pulsed_."

Kagome stared. "When did it do that? I was watching the whole time, it never pulsed, Inuyasha."

My eyebrows pulled together. "It did. I swear. I could feel it. And I could _see_ it."

"Inuyasha," Rin said carefully, "nothing happened to the sword."

I glanced at Suzume. Her eyes were wide. She tugged on a lock of Rin's hair. When Rin looked down, Suzume whispered something in her ear that I couldn't hear.

Rin murmured something back that I couldn't hear.

I looked at Sesshomaru. "Did you see it?"

"No." Curt. There was a steely edge to his tone.

I frowned in frustration. Kagome and Rin were looking at me like I'd gone insane.

_Am I?_

_No_, I thought furiously. _It happened. It did_. _I'm not crazy._

Although…by the time I really registered what was happening, I was halfway to blacking out. Could what I'd seen really be trusted?

I glared at Sesshomaru. "Alright, I have it now. _Happy_?"

Sesshomaru stared at me for a second, looking like he wanted to hit me or insult me. He swiftly turned and escorted Rin and Suzume back upstairs. I turned to Kagome.

"You didn't see it?" I asked her. "Really?"

"No. Sorry," she said, looking like she really wanted to believe me, but still didn't. "Let's go."

"I don't want to touch that thing again," I said to her darkly. I eyed the sword.

"Inuyasha, just grab it. It won't hurt you," she said. She sounded impatient.

I crouched down and, as quickly as I possibly could, shoved the sword into the sheath and picked it up. I held it gingerly until I was certain nothing would happen to me.

We went upstairs and Rin was with Suzume in the kitchen. Sesshomaru probably went back to his office to fume over whatever the hell he was so angry about.

I sat at the kitchen table, where I'd always sat before I left. It felt strange. Kagome sat next to me.

I noticed Suzume peering at me from her seat on her mother's lap. I stared back and she smiled at me.

"I can't believe you're really back," Rin said quietly. I looked up at her.

"Just for today," I replied. "We're leaving tomorrow."

"We? You travel with Kagome, then?"

"Um…yes." _I've said too much!_

"I see." I did _not_ like Rin's expression one bit.

"So," I said awkwardly, "how've things…been?"

"Great, actually," she said, smiling. "Well, except for…I really missed you. I wish you would've stayed."

"I couldn't," I said, staring at the table. I saw Kagome's head tilt in interest out of the corner of my eye. I mentally cringed. I knew she would push me to talk about it later.

Would I have to explain this to her? I'd been thinking about this way too much lately. When was I going to have to start paying for it? Now? Was the living hell of having to tell Kagome about this—and having to see her reaction—going to be my punishment?

I sighed. I wouldn't tell her. Especially not with Rin right here. Maybe not ever.

I looked at Rin. She was watching me. She looked nervous. I lowered my eyes again.

"So, Kagome," said Rin, breaking the silence, "how long have you and Inuyasha known each other?"

"About a year now," Kagome replied.

Rin nodded. "Inuyasha?"

I met her eyes warily.

"How much longer do you plan on…traveling?" She forced the last word out. She didn't have the ability to say "pirate," that much was obvious. OR she was really good at denial.

I glanced at Kagome.

"Well, for the next four years, at _least_," I said casually. I couldn't totally hold off the smile. The side of my mouth twitched up. I heard Kagome stifle a laugh.

Rin looked confused. "Okay…" She shifted Suzume in her lap. "Are you surprised to have a niece?"

I coughed. "Um…" What was I supposed to say? That the thought of Rin and Sesshomaru--(I coughed again) …having a kid was not what I expected after they were married for over _five_ years? That was a lie. "Not…really."

"What do you think of her?"

"I dunno. I've known her less than an hour."

"Right." We all looked at Suzume, who had busied herself with twisting bits Rin's hair. "Would you like anything to eat? Drink? I can make some tea."

"Tea would be fine," I said.

"Kagome?"

"I'd like some as well. Thank you."

Rin stood and set Suzume on the chair and walked to the stove. She took out a kettle and filled it with water. She set it on the stove and took out three tea bags and uncovered a plate of cookies.

Suzume perked up when she saw Rin coming with the plate. She stopped twisting her own dark hair around her fingers and reached for a cookie before Rin could even set the plate on the table.

We all laughed. She took a big bite and crumbs got on her cheeks.

Cute kid.

* * *

After we'd talked about what seemed like almost everything, Kagome and I had to leave. The sun was setting. We'd been there for the entire day (as Kagome had forced me to go so damn _early_).

I grabbed the useless sword from where I'd rested it against the wall by the door.

"It was so great to see you, Inuyasha. I wish you would stay longer," said Rin warmly. I could tell by "longer" she meant something far more than another couple days.

"Yeah, but we have to get going," I said. "Places to go, people to see…"

"Of course. Suzume, say goodbye to Uncle Inuyasha." Suzume was standing by Rin in all her two-and-a-half-foot glory.

Huh. That sounded rather odd. Uncle Inuyasha. I snorted in my head.

"Goodbye, Uncle Inuyasha," she said in her sweet, high voice. "It was nice to meet you."

"You too, kid."

"Goodbye, Miss Kagome," she continued. "It was nice to meet you, too."

It sounded rehearsed. Like Rin had sat down with her and practiced the words over and over. Kagome smiled down at the girl. "Yes, it was very nice to meet you, Suzume."

Suzume smiled a little, her hand tangled in the ends of her hair, and she stared at nothing in particular. I learned she was shy.

"Bye, Rin," I said. "Don't worry about me, okay?"

She laughed. "Right, like I can just not worry on command," she said. She smiled at me. I wished she wouldn't like me so much…I mean, not to Sesshomaru levels, but a bit less would make things like this a helluva lot easier. "Goodbye, Inuyasha. You better visit again soon."

"Yeah, sure," I said, not wanting to promise anything.

"And, Kagome, I'm glad Inuyasha has someone to keep him in line," Rin said playfully.

I scowled. Rin was dead-on with that one. Smart one, she was. Kagome laughed. "That's one way to put it."

"Be safe," Rin murmured, looking from me to Kagome. She reached out and hugged me. Then she turned and hugged Kagome. Her eyes were swimming with tears. Ah, jeez…

And then we left.

Teary goodbye scene. Check.

As Kagome and I walked into town, she grabbed my arm and a smile was on her face. "You have a very nice family."

"Except for Sesshomaru…" The only one I'm actually related to by blood…well, there's Suzume now, of course.

"I suppose…I haven't known him long enough to judge that, though."

"Sure. But you don't really need much time to know he's a jackass."

She slapped my arm. Good lord, she was becoming like Rin. God help us all...

When we were walking through the streets, less crowded now that people had flocked to their homes and the bars, it was pretty dark already. The street lamps were dim and gave off an orange-ish glow.

As we walked down the sidewalk and past a bar, I barely noticed when someone stumbled out of the door and muttered something our way. I was more aware of how Kagome was still pressed against my side.

"Want to get something to eat?" I asked.

"Sure," she replied. Her voice was sleepy.

We walked into the nearest restaurant that was not terribly crowded. I went up to order and Kagome went to sit down as soon as we entered.

When I turned around to find Kagome, I swept the place with my eyes. I was confused. I looked it over at least three more times before acknowledging that she was not in the restaurant anymore.

I hurried outside. "Kagome," I called.

I started walking around. I had no idea where I was going, but I went in the direction my feet carried me. "Kagome!" I called again. Panic arose, forming a lump in my throat. What had the wench gotten herself into this time?

I heard the beginning of a scream, but it got muffled after just a couple seconds. "Kagome!" I shouted. My heart was racing. I ran towards the sound. "Kagome!"

Then I heard her scream again and it sounded like she was trying to say my name, but it got cut off again. I kept calling her name.

I rounded the corner of an alleyway that had been just past a bar we'd passed on the way. It looked familiar. I realized this was the place I'd heard someone exiting in a drunken stupor. Had the bastard _followed_ us?

Was he hurting Kagome? Blinding anger filled me. I shouted her name louder.

I walked deeper into the alley and saw the outline of a guy who was holding someone against the wall. _Kagome!_

"Hey!" I growled. "Let go of her! Don't you touch her, you filthy bastard!"

I ran towards the outline. I was punched in the gut. I hunched over and dropped the stupid sword. Kagome screamed again. She was sobbing.

"Shut up," the man ordered her. I stood straight.

When I pulled my fist back to punch the guy, all the force I could muster behind it, he spoke to me. "You think you can hurt me?"

I growled. "_You bastard_. What kind of person would try to hurt an innocent girl?"

I thrust my fist forward and just before it would've made contact with his face, he wasn't in front of me anymore. He was fast.

He pulled Kagome further back, pushing her behind him like he was _defending_ her.

_I'll kill him_. _I swear to god, I will murder his sorry ass._

He was suddenly in front of me and I then registered a sharp pain in my side. He jumped back and I could tell he was smiling by the glint of moonlight off his teeth.

The moon was out now. I put a hand to the pain, and when I pulled it away, it glistened in the moonlight. He'd stabbed me.

I dropped to my knees. Kagome screamed my name. This time, she wasn't cut short. I saw her lunge towards me but the man held out a hand to restrain her.

"I'm not done with you yet," he said. His tone had so many implications; my vision went red for a short second in unyielding fury.

I grabbed the sword to help me stand up. I didn't know what I planned to do with it, but I took it out.

And then my head clouded. It got heavier, like before. Pulsed. But, this time, I looked to the people before me and forced myself to see clearly. They both stared at me in horror and shock. They stared at my hand.

I looked down. The sword was now in the shape of a giant fang, and it looked sharp. _Real_ sharp. The kind of sharp that can cleanly decapitate someone.

But they weren't even looking at the sword anymore; they were staring at _me_. My head began aching again, and two pricks on the top of my head in particular were the most painful.

I looked at the sword and then stared in alarm at my hand. Did I have…?

My muscles suddenly tightened and I felt infinitely stronger. My side wound didn't even hurt anymore.

All my anger was still strong in me, and when I stared at the sonovabitch in front of me, I knew I was stronger. I wasn't sure about faster, but that didn't matter. I had a huge sword while he had a little knife. And I was _stronger_.

I stared the guy down. He watched me with confusion and growing terror in his eyes. I could see what was in front of me more clearly. Everything had crisper edges, even quick movement was easy to see. And the sounds…I could hear _everything_. The ocean, the clinking of glasses in bars, the bugs…_everything_.

Must be the adrenaline. I was imagining that, with being stronger, my senses were enhanced as well. That's just an effect of the adrenaline, I told myself over and over. For some reason, I couldn't seem to believe it.

I raised the sword, and it felt as light as it had when it was nothing better than an over-sized butter knife. This raised my certainty that my muscles had all enhanced in power.

I took a step forward. The man slid a foot back a few inches and stumbled over nothing.

"Wh-what _are _you?" he asked. His voice trembled. This delighted me in a rather sick way that had me confused.

I didn't say anything. A rumble started low in my chest, and came out as a ripping growl. It sounded much more impressive than it had earlier…

I leveled the sword with his neck. He lifted his chin and swallowed, horrified eyes still on me, and a trickle of blood rolled down to his collar bone. I smirked.

"Inuyasha?" I heard Kagome whimper from behind the man. "Is… Are you—_What happened to you_?"

"Don't worry, Kagome," I said to her, not taking my eyes off the man in front of me. "You'll be safe soon."

The seemingly helpless man started to raise his hands, as if in surrender. "Please, I—I didn't know you were a—"

"Shut up," I said. "Too late for that."

And I thrust the sword forward.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **Happy (belated) V-Day! Hope you all got nice chocolates—I know I did (Lindor truffles, mmmm!). Blah, school felt like it would _never_ end today! I never have anything to do in Study Hall anymore, since 2nd semester started. It's annoying and I'm sick of playing brick on my iPod.

Many apologies for the incredibly long break. Check my profile, I totally admitted to my strong tendency to procrastinate. And school drains the little sleep I tend to get (in my own defense, I stay up late every night _reading_! So there.).

**Chapter 17**

I thrust the sword forward, but it didn't budge an inch. I looked at in confusion, and tried to push forward once again. Nada.

The man opened his eyes, and stared in confusion at me. He'd been expecting death, but he continued to stand before me, alive.

I saw Kagome staring at me in horror from over his shoulder, and my fury suddenly returned anew, only stronger. Why was she standing behind him, sharing his expression? _He_ was the monster here! From this point of view, it looked as though _he_ was defending her from _me_, the bad guy who wants to violate an innocent girl. It wasn't right.

In my fury, I tried once again to kill the man. The sword stayed in the air where I'd steadied it before his throat. I became impatient and threw it to the ground, and then immediately brought my hand back up in a fist and punched him in the face.

He staggered backward, and Kagome screamed. He stumbled into her as she tried desperately to back away and avoid being taken down by his weight. As I waited for him to regain what composure he had left, I felt something digging into the palm of my fisted hand.

I lifted my fist and uncurled my fingers. On my palm, there were four shallow crescent marks, darkened with blood and pink around the edges. I turned my hand over and stared at my nails…

They weren't nails; they were _claws_.

What happened to me? I stared at both my hands, flipping them over and thinking the claws would go away when I flipped them back. They didn't. I shot a panicked glance to Kagome, who was watching me with frightened and wary eyes.

"Inuyasha…," she whispered, her voice shaking. I saw she was crying, streams of tears traced on her cheeks. I was confused again—why did it smell so salty?

"Kagome," I said. My voice cracked. I sounded the same, though. That was slightly comforting, in a weird way. "What's happened to me?"

"The sword…you—it made you…" She struggled to make coherent sentences.

I looked at the ground, to the sword. I was surprised to see it was no longer large and fang-shaped, but returned to the rusty chipped state I'd received it in. I picked it up but it stayed the same. I shoved it back into the sheath.

The man suddenly came back to my mind. Had I knocked him out? I looked past Kagome; the man lay unconscious on the ground. I turned back to her.

"I have to talk to Sesshomaru," I said grimly.

"I'll go with," she said right away, her voice still weak. She was clutching the front of her shirt, her arms crossed to make it look as though she might be hugging herself. I realized her shirt had been opened half-way, but not torn—unbuttoned.

"You don't have to," I said, and I noticed, with only minor chagrin, how sad I sounded. "You should go back to the ship."

"No, I'm coming with," she said, and her tone was stronger, firmer. She was stubborn as ever, even if she was still trembling from her earlier horror.

"Fine," I snapped (a habit when she used that tone). "Let's go, then."

--

We were going up the last wide path that led to the house. I stared at the ground in front of me, feeling rather shameful.

The whole walk, Kagome didn't come near me. She walked at least a few feet away the whole time, and her expression was distressed, but I still saw the fear behind the sorrow. I felt horrible. I must look like a monster to her now.

I really didn't feel a whole lot different. I could plainly see the sharp claws I now had, and the way the muscles and tendons in my hands looked more prominent, stronger. I could feel that I wasn't as weak anymore; that I wasn't…_human_ anymore.

I knew my senses were stronger as well. My hearing was improved, my sight. My smell…I'd figured out the saltiness I'd smelled before: Kagome's tears.

I was sure my hair was a different color now too…the same as Sesshomaru's. Silvery white. It used to be black. Now _that_ would take some getting used to.

When we approached the front door, Kagome stood behind me, still on the dirt sidewalk, and I was standing on the raised step as I knocked—okay, _maybe_ pounded—on the door.

When Sesshomaru opened the door, his eyes widened marginally but his expression stayed relatively the same.

I pushed past him and stalked into the entryway, paced half the length of the living room and stopped when I was close to him again. Kagome hesitantly stepped in and Sesshomaru closed the door.

"What the hell did this sword do to me?" I demanded, raising said sword in my right hand.

"Please, do come in," he said scathingly.

"What happened to me?" I continued, ignoring his sarcastic remark.

"It seems Tetsusaiga decided you were ready to stop being a human," he said flatly.

"I can see that!" I yelled, nearly into his face.

"Lower your tone," he ordered sharply. "Suzume is sleeping."

"Tell me," I insisted. "What…am I?"

"I thought even you'd have been able to figure that out," he said, _still_ not answering. He watched me expectantly.

I thought about it. I came up with absofrigginlutely nothing.

"I don't know," I ground out, willing myself not to yell—I was in no mood to face the wrath of Rin for waking her kid.

"Think of Father. What is he?" he asked. He gave me no time to answer. "A demon."

"So?"

"You truly are an imbecile." His face held his disgust, but he seemed slightly amused by my _stupidity_. "Your mother is human, is she not? You never thought it odd that _you_ were only a human?"

I blinked. "No, I guess not."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course you didn't."

"Well, maybe human traits are more dominant…" It was a (very) weak attempt of making sense of whatever he was trying to explain.

"You really think human blood would be stronger than demon blood?"

"Then why have I been human?!" I was seething. I was in no position to do heavy thinking, and he must know that. He was prolonging this for his own goddamn amusement. "Just tell me, dammit!"

He looked like he was suppressing a sigh. "You're a half-demon."

"Half…demon." I paused. _Half_ demon. Still human. Sort of. Okay.

I nodded. I looked at Kagome, who had been silent the entire time. She still stood close to the door, seeming interested in the floor. She glanced up at me, and her gaze was just above my face, like she was looking over my head. I scowled deeply that I had to change _now_, and become a monster to her.

"And why did I need the sword—"

"Tetsusaiga," he interrupted.

My eye must have been twitching. I didn't care what the name of the stupid sword was!! "Why did I need _Tetsusaiga_ to become a half-demon?"

"Father didn't want you to be tormented as a child for being half-demon, half-human. He had you changed to look like a human, and Tetsusaiga was supposed to break that appearance." He paused. "You were supposed to receive Tetsusaiga for your eighteenth birthday, but you were conveniently missing at the time."

I stayed silent. I had nothing to say, especially not to him.

"Tetsusaiga was one of Father's swords; it's made from one of his fangs. It can kill one hundred demons in a single swing—if properly wielded."

It was apparent he didn't think me _proper_ for wielding it.

I was mulling over the fact that my father had done this to me…for my _protection_. It was strange, that thought.

Did he abandon me on a damn island for my _protection_?

I'd sure be a surprise the next time I saw him. I could act like nothing had changed, like I didn't feel the fangs in my mouth, the claws on my hands…

"Is Suzume like this too, then?" I asked. "A half-demon?"

Sesshomaru scowled. "Yes. Do not tell her, or I shall have your head."

Why would I tell her? Why would he immediately make the leap that I would tell her something like this, that she would become something she didn't know, something she'd never even considered?

Then again, she could be smart and put it together herself, whether she was eighteen then or not. She might even figure it out by seeing me. I wondered if she would get anything, like a sword, to make her change. It was comical to imagine her holding a sword, tiny thing that she was.

I was pacing up and down the sitting room again. I was still agitated at Sesshomaru (honestly, when was I ever _not_?). My ears were twitching.

Wait—_my ears were twitching? _What the bloody hell?

My feet froze in place, and I was now interested in why I felt my ears twitching, not at the sides of my head (where they should be!!) but at the top. It was strange. _How could I have not noticed this earlier?_

I crossed the sitting room and went to the large gilt-framed mirror I knew was hanging in the hall. I had to know what these…ears…looked like.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I peeked through one eye, and then stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at my reflection.

It was not the new, sharp fangs or the strange hair that caused this reaction. It was the…the _ears_…

Wow, when did I start thinking of ears as some menacing thing, saying it like it was a swear word? How odd.

Anyway, back to the reflection.

I had dog ears! What the hell! I had freaking dog ears! And…

Was that what Kagome was looking at before? My ears? My _"cute"_ little doggy ears. That is so like her. I glared in her general direction, not that she could see with the walls and all that. But still, it made me feel the teeniest bit better about the stupid ears.

I sighed, glowered at the little white-and-pink triangles protruding through my silvery hair, and clenched my hands together. I could still feel my nails/claws on my palm, but hopefully that would be something I could get used to. I clenched my teeth, and then flinched at the sharpness on my lip. Dammit.

I stomped back through the living room. Kagome was sitting on one of the nice couches that looked rarely used. She looked up at me, her gaze sliding over my face to rest above my head; on the little triangles I'm sure. Gr…

"Well." I looked between her and Sesshomaru, who lounged in a large cushioned chair that was probably there just for him. It was his _thrown_, I suppose. "Now what?"

"Inuyasha," Kagome said quietly. I looked at her. Well, at least she still was willing to talk to me. "Will you leave now? I can no longer claim any power over you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You are easily stronger than any man on my ship now. It's not as if I can force you to stay."

She stared at her hands. The faintest hint of saline was picked up by my sensitive nose, but I couldn't be sure if it was something new or from the dried tears on her cheeks. I hoped for the latter; I really couldn't stand to see any woman cry, especially if it was my fault. I tended to panic and make them even more upset.

"Kagome, I signed the agreement, didn't I?"

"So?"

"So…" I realized then how tempting it was becoming; going off on my own, confronting my old man, maybe starting my own crew and having the title of captain. I would follow no one's rules but my own. I couldn't offer Kagome what she wanted, anyway. It was obvious nothing but a serious relationship could be had with her. I wasn't ready for that—nor would I ever be.

Which was more important: An oath made to a woman I'd come to care about, or a promise made to myself, which I'd been able to keep up easily until very recently?

It probably seemed a tough decision to someone on the outside, but to me it easier than expected.

And so, just like that, I'd made up my mind.


	18. Chapter 18

_This chapter was edited/revised Sunday, April 4, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions. Happy Easter!_

**Chapter 18**

I stayed quiet as we walked back to the ship. After realizing my decision, I couldn't be sure if it was the right one. I just had to try and trust myself to follow through, no matter how it may affect my future.

Kagome looked so distressed. I wished I could comfort her. But I'd probably push her past her limit and make her cry. Then I'd feel like crap. And she'd cry more. It's a vicious circle.

When we reached the ship, I walked Kagome to her cabin, just to make sure she didn't pass out on the deck in exhaustion from all she's been through today. She wasn't walking as cautiously distanced anymore, so I took that as a good sign.

As we approached the door, her walking slowed. I slowed with her, careful of not touching her. But then, to my surprise, so much so that I jumped, she reached out and firmly took my hand. She stopped in front of the door and swung to face me. As she peered up at me, I searched her face for any signs of distress. But I saw something else blazing in her eyes that I couldn't identify.

Then slowly, so slowly, she pushed herself up on her tiptoes and hesitantly brushed her lips against mine. I wanted to release her hand and pull her tightly to me, but I didn't. I didn't want to scare her.

And then she did exactly what I'd wanted to do. She snaked her arms up my shoulders and around my neck, running her fingers through the hair at the nape. She pressed her lips fully on mine. I slowly put my hand to her waist, and she clung to me even more tightly. It was like she was trying to prove she wasn't afraid of me.

And then I froze, when I felt the strangely scorching heat of a hand on the bare skin of my stomach. Kagome was resting her hand on my bare skin. Under my shirt. And it was the most unnerving thing I'd ever experienced. Electric pulses raced through my nerves, sending little shocks up my spine and to my fingertips. Without really remembering deciding to make the action, my hand slid to her neck and my fingers curled into the smooth skin. She made an interesting little sound in her throat.

I kissed her neck gently and her head lolled back. I nipped her silky neck very lightly, letting my new fangs graze slowly across a bit of skin. She made the throaty sound again, and it was bizarrely pleasing. I nuzzled her neck one last time, taking in her rose-garden-in-the-summer smell, before she pulled my face back to hers and determinedly kissed me again.

But then I remembered something.

This is Kagome. _Kagome_, I repeated in my head firmly. I can't do this. We can't do this, not now. It's not right.

I gently placed my hands on the sides of her face and pulled her away. She resisted weakly, but didn't struggle for long.

I had to be much stronger. I don't know how the full-human-me would have handled that. Certainly wouldn't have had near as much ability to stop what was happening. So, stronger physically _and_ mentally. That's nice.

Kagome was staring up at me with confused, hurt eyes. And they were still slightly clouded with lust, I couldn't help but notice. And her lips still looked moist.

"Inuyasha, why—"

"Kagome, think about it." I stared down at her, pausing to make sure she was listening. "You know what would have happened if I hadn't. Did you really want that?"

"Yes," she answered right away. Oh good, she's mad. _Peachy_.

"Really?"

She pursed her lips angrily before grinding out, "Yes."

"You weren't trying to prove anything to me?" She shook her head. I stared at her. She was so damn stubborn I knew she was lying, but she refused to give in. "Well, I don't believe you," I told her.

She looked shocked for a second. Then she spluttered at me indignantly for a moment. "How the hell do you know what I want? Are you a mind-reader, now, too?" she snapped furiously.

I flinched. Alright, now I was getting mad too. "No, but I know you pretty damn well!" I yelled back at her.

"No you don't!" She was right in my face.

"Yes I do!"

We glared at each other for a moment before she seemed to actually think things through. Faint realization swept her features for a moment, before she looked back up at me with trembling lips and wet eyes. _Ah jeez, don't cry!_

"I—" She stopped and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking," she said quietly. "I just—I feel like I'm losing you."

I frowned, and almost felt like crying myself. I hugged her instead. She clutched the material of my shirt tightly and I could smell the tears and feel the wetness soak in. _Sigh._

"Shh, Kagome, don't cry," I whispered in her ear, trying to bring her what comfort I could.

She finally seemed to calm her nerves and released her grip on my shirt, taking a small step back. "Sorry," she whispered.

I put a hand over her mouth. "Stop apologizing."

She nodded her head once and pulled my hand away. "Goodnight, Inuyasha. See you in the morning."

And she turned and walked into her cabin, closing the door quietly behind her. I sighed and slugged back to the crew cabin and my stupid hammock. I hoped Miroku was asleep; I wasn't in the mood for his annoying self.

I was lucky on this one thing today. Everybody who was in the cabin was sound asleep, so I was able to climb into my bed without people freaking out about some demon on the ship. I fell asleep quickly, but it wasn't at all restful.

* * *

When I woke the next morning, no one was bothering me. The cabin was empty. I jumped down and shoved my boots on, climbing the steps and stepping out into the bright sunlight. I looked around, and met the alarmed stares of some crew members.

"What are you lookin' at?" I questioned bitterly. Some looked away, but others still stared, looking ready to try and fight me. "What, don't you recognize your little _prisoner_?"

Some blinked and squinted, suspicion suddenly taking place. "Inuyasha?" one of them asked.

I smirked, and then realized how angry I was. I couldn't explain it—well, maybe I could, but I was trying hard not to think of the reason.

I helped load the last boxes of cargo into the hold and we set sail after lunch. It helped to be on the open water again, not tied to land. I wasn't looking forward to the next time we made port.

I was about to help release the sails, but Kagome caught me by the arm and asked if we could talk. I'd actually wanted to have some time to think, but I didn't tell her that.

"Why are you acting so differently today?" she asked, her voice completely innocent and curious.

"What, I'm not allowed to be in a bad mood?" I snapped at her, and she flinched. _Why am I such an idiot?_

"I was just wondering—"

"I have stuff to do, Kagome. I'm a prisoner; shouldn't I be breaking my back?"

She looked like she was trying not to get mad. "Inuyasha, I've hardly treated you like a prisoner since you've been here. I gave you a perfect, wide-open chance to leave—"

"But you also made me feel guilty if I did! And then that stunt you pulled last night—"

"I apologized for that!"

"That's beside the point! You had a purpose for doing that—"

"_What_ is your problem? So now I'm a whore?" She gestured wildly at her body. "Oh yes, Inuyasha, I was trying to lure you into my quarters and seduce you into staying on my ship! You have me all figured out, caught me red-handed!"

"Kagome—"

"It couldn't possibly have been because I wanted the comfort of you holding me, _especially_ after everything that happened yesterday, or because I lo—" She abruptly stopped herself, pressing her lips in a tight line. I froze.

"Because you what?" I asked frantically, my anger cooled off and in the back of my mind now. "'Because you…' What? Finish it!"

"Never mind," she mumbled, turning and stalking back towards her cabin. I could hear her sniffling, but trying desperately to hide it until she was alone.

I looked around and saw all the eyes on me still. "What?" I growled, and every crew member immediately continued their jobs.

"Inuyasha," said a quiet voice from behind, and I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"What do you want, Miroku?" I said through clenched teeth—ouch, stupid fangs—keeping my voice low.

"Why are you being such a horse's ass?" he asked. It sounded like a simple question the way he said it, like he could have been asking about the weather.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, and tried to walk away. He grabbed my arm and made me face him. "_Let go,_" I said threateningly.

"No." He stared at me, daring me to protest more. Gee, he sure looked serious. "What's wrong with you? Making Kagome cry like that…" He shook his head disdainfully.

"I don't _like_ making her cry, okay? It just…happens. She's the one who needs to control her emotions better."

"She's a woman, Inuyasha!" And he actually had the nerve to hit me—very hard, I might add—on the head. "If she's crying after every conversation you have with her, _you're_ the one doing something wrong!"

Well.

Okay. He was right, _obviously_.

"I suggest you apologize—"

"No way!"

"—and soon."

I needed to change the subject. I was sick of discussing the "relationship" between me and Kagome. It was making me angrier than I was when I woke up.

"So, how're things going with Sango?" I asked casually, and took great pleasure in watching him frown over a woman (instead of me, for a change).

"Not well, I'm afraid." He seemed to lighten up rather quickly. Ruin my fun, why dontcha… "Still the same stubborn, beautiful woman as when I first met her."

"It's been over a year, man."

"Like I said, stubborn. But I've been know to be rather persistent," he said suggestively.

Alright, there's my limit of perverted-Miroku-ness. I rolled my eyes and went to find something to do that would take concentration.


	19. Chapter 19

_This chapter was edited/revised Monday, April 5, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 19**

It'd been a month since I'd become a half-demon. And in that month, I'd become bitter and depressed. I was an abomination, not belonging to either human or demon race. And Kagome just made it worse.

She tried so hard to show me she truly didn't care _what_ I was, just who I was. But it was hard to believe her when she yelled at me or stormed off crying nearly every time we talked.

I'd been avoiding her, and I was starting to think she knew what choice I'd made.

Miroku was at the helm, standing tall and watching Sango across the deck. He'd persuaded Kagome to let us make port one more time so that we didn't get so depleted like last time. I hated him for it.

So, as I glared at the man who made my decision about to become solid, I contemplated what I should do about Kagome.

Tell her how I really felt? Tell her what I was planning? None of the options I came up with were good. If I told her how I really felt, it would just make this harder. I knew she would be upset. I couldn't seem to find a way not to upset her anymore.

"Inuyasha," I heard Kagome say curtly, her voice coming from behind me. "Get to work."

I almost glared at her, but instead I just walked away to find something to do.

* * *

That night, Miroku reported that we would make it to the nearest port city by nightfall the next day. I scowled.

As I lay in my bed and stared at the ceiling in the dark, I heard footsteps on the steps. My ears swiveled towards the sound. Next thing I knew, I was being tapped on the shoulder.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered.

I looked down at her. "What?"

"Can we talk?"

I frowned. I didn't want this conversation, but I had no idea how to prevent it.

"Please?" she urged. "Please."

"Fine." I hopped down and we went to sit on the deck. I stared up at the sky, painted with gleaming stars. The moon shone bright and full.

"Have I lost you?" Kagome whispered sadly after a long silence.

"I'm right here," I replied.

"You know what I mean." Her tone made me look at her. "Is there no hope, then?"

I wasn't sure how to answer. "I don't know," I said quietly, looking back at the sky. Kagome looked at her hands.

"I don't want to lose you, Inuyasha. Why has becoming a half-demon made you so—so resentful?"

"I don't belong anywhere, Kagome. Half-demons aren't supposed to exist. Humans mate with humans, demons mate with demons. That's how it's supposed to be."

"Says who?" she demanded indignantly. "Who has any right to say that a demon can't love a human? That a human and a demon can't have a family together?"

"The world, Kagome. That's who."

"That's stupid. I'm a part of the world. I say it's just fine."

"You're one person."

She sighed, aggravated. "You're hopeless, Inuyasha."

I looked her right in the eye. "You have no idea."

We were silent for a long time. She broke the silence.

"Is it so wrong of me to want you to stay?"

I stared at her, frozen. She knew what was happening. She knew, and she wasn't fighting me over it. I was bewildered as I breathed, "_What_?"

"I'm not blind, Inuyasha. You don't ever want to talk to me. When we do talk, we're fighting. You haven't touched me since…" She trailed off.

All I could think to say was, "I'm sorry."

"I have no right to plead with you. You've made your choice, and it's been made very clear that there's nothing I can do to stop you." It made me feel sick that I was the reason she sounded so forlorn.

I was suddenly urgent. I turned to her and grabbed her wrists. "You can, Kagome. You have the ability to make me stay. You do."

She looked up at me, wide eyed. "Inuyasha, what are you talking about? You're leaving me. You've been planning this for longer than I know, right? Why would you change your mind?"

I searched her face. I was saddened by what I saw.

She had already accepted, to some degree, that I would be gone. She wouldn't try to stop me. Even after I told her she could, she still wouldn't try. I released her wrists.

"I'm sorry," I repeated.

"Don't say that," she said, trailing her fingers down my cheek. "Don't be sorry. Don't regret this. Please? It would make me very sad if you regretted meeting me."

Did I regret meeting her? She was the reason I was so miserable right now, but she'd also been the reason for my general happiness for a year before this month.

"I don't know what to say, Kagome." I hugged her. "I don't want you to be sad."

She slowly slid her arms around my waist, returning the embrace. "I know."

When I was about to let her go, she held tighter to me. I wanted to cry. My life was indisputably sucking. I had a girl who wanted me, who didn't care what I was, and I was leaving her.

But I had a reason to. If I didn't leave, I would hold her back. She deserved someone who didn't make her cry. Someone who wouldn't yell at her for stupid reasons. Someone who wouldn't kill the chance of a relationship when it was just days old.

Someone who wasn't like me.

* * *

We made port the next evening, as planned. Kagome had stayed in her cabin most of the day. I suspected that was my fault.

When we did make port, I didn't want to leave the ship. I wanted Kagome to make me stay with her, even if it made her feel bad to do so. I wanted her to fight me on this.

But how could I do that to her after she'd begun to accept it? It would just make her confused and upset.

"Inuyasha," Sango said, approaching me. "Where's Miroku?"

"How should I know?" I snapped. She frowned at me.

"I need to talk to him," she said frostily. "If you see him, tell him I'm looking for him."

But, out of nowhere, Miroku appeared. He was immediately at Sango's side, clutching her hands in his. "What is it, my dearest Sango?"

She blushed, flustered. "Can we talk…in private?"

Miroku smiled suggestively. "Of course, my dear."

She glared at him then. "I want to talk, Miroku. _Talk_. If you don't want to lose your favorite _appendage_, I suggest keeping those hands to yourself."

Miroku tried to look innocent. "Why, I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

"Right," she said caustically.

They went off somewhere to talk. I suspected Miroku would be getting slapped soon.

I wandered about the deck, stalling. Would I say goodbye to her? Would that only hurt her more? Would it make all the more difficult to leave her?

It would make it harder. Tremendously harder. I hated that. I wanted to see her one last time, but I couldn't. It was like suffocating and being told you couldn't have more air even when all you had to do was inhale.

I went to gather the very few things I owned. And then I walked slowly towards the docks.

_Although I would be in her way_, I thought, _she would be in my way more. _

As I stepped off her ship, I felt as if I were leaving something behind.

I disappeared into the dark streets of the port city, an old score to settle on my mind.


	20. Chapter 20

_This chapter was edited/revised Monday, April 5, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 20**

I walked into a bar. I looked around and spotted the man I was searching for. As I approached him, he looked up, and then started, eyes wide.

Not expecting my change in appearance, apparently.

"What?" I snapped. "I'm a half-demon. Got a problem with it?"

"Since when?" he asked, recovered.

"'Bout two months ago." I sat down across from him. A barmaid came up and set a pitcher in front of me, eyeing me warily. I glared at her and she hastily retreated to attend another table.

"Hunh." He took a sip from his mug, eyeing me over the rim. "Interesting."

I quickly lost patience. "Do you know where my old man is or not?"

"Last I heard he was marauding the eastern coasts of the Americas." He leaned back in his chair, completely at ease. It irritated me. Probably because I hadn't felt at ease for nearly two months.

I pushed those thoughts out of my mind, struggling to keep my face lacking the immense depression and resentment I felt.

"You got anything more specific?" I asked, chugging some of my drink. The alcohol burned as it went down my throat. I could feel as it settled warmly in my stomach.

"Depends. You got anything more expensive?"

I threw a brown cloth bag down on the table. The gold coins inside it chinked quietly as it landed.

"His ship was last spotted by a British man-of-war. Report said he was pillaging coast cities of northeastern Brazil." He took the bag and slowly undid the tie, turning it over on the table and letting the coins spill out. His eyes gleamed as he counted them, stacking them absentmindedly.

"Alright." I paused as I watched the dim light of candles around the bar glint off the coins he stacked. "Now, how the hell am I supposed to get there?"

"My friend, would I meet and speak with you without all the resources you needed?" He _tsk_ed disdainfully. "Your doubt hurts."

I picked up a coin and chucked it at him. He caught it within inches from his face.

"Inuyasha, you would hurt your dear, dear friend Jakotsu?"

I glared at him. "Get to the point already," I growled.

"Ooh, scary doggy." He chuckled to himself. "I know a guy, don't worry."

"How soon?" I asked. I'd forgotten how much Jakotsu truly aggravated me…

"Oh, I don't know. A week, at best." He finished stacking the last of the coins. "Of course, _mon cher_, it'll require more compensation to _moi_."

"How much you want?"

"Who says I want money?" he asked suggestively. He laughed when I gave him an infuriated look. "Don't worry, doll, I wouldn't hurt you...much."

"That's sick, Jakotsu. How much?"

"I'll let you know. So, what drives you to find your big, bad daddy anyway?"

"I have some unfinished business with him. And I'd like to know what he thinks of my newfound demonic blood."

"Inuyasha, you sound vindictive. What'd the man do to you?"

"Nothing that concerns you." I couldn't help the errant thought of what (or rather, _who_) his abandonment led me to.

I frowned and drank more alcohol. The burn helped to fog my mind.

"When do I meet this guy? The one who can get me overseas?"

"When I _say_ you can. My, you're so anxious."

"I have reason to be." I stared at the table, at the little carvings people had made in attempt to mark their presence. I dug a claw into the wood and made haphazard lines.

"You look like you could use a bit of _action_," Jakotsu remarked, a suggestive lilt to his tone, after a long silence.

I glared at him. "No thanks."

"I'm serious. You look so tense."

"I am tense, moron."

"Why? Could it be, perhaps…a _girl_?" He glanced up at me.

I flinched. I hoped he wouldn't notice.

But, of course, he did. "I thought so. What's her name?"

"Shut up, Jakotsu. I swear to god, _shut up_." My hands were clenched tightly. I could feel my claws digging into my palms.

"So she broke your heart, huh?"

"No," I growled. "Now drop it."

"Alright, alright. So pushy." He inspected his nails lazily.

I restrained the urge to hurl another coin at him.

* * *

My hands were clenching and unclenching in annoyance. I was following Jakotsu to meet this _guy_ he knew. I wanted to hit something.

But, as we approached the docks, I became more anxious than anything. I was ready to confront my old man _now_, but knowing I would be able to _soon_ was enough to keep me from going mad.

Jakotsu made a gesture that suggested I stay and wait where I was. He walked up to a man standing on the docks near a large ship and began having a quiet conversation.

I could hear their murmurs from this short distance, but I was uninterested in anything Jakotsu had to say, so I took in my surroundings. I noticed a bizarrely large number of docked ships. I wondered if this was one of the better port cities. I hadn't been paying attention to what cities I was in lately, all I knew was I was in western Europe.

I listened to some passersby talking. They had dark hair and olive skin. Their accents sounded Greek.

I decided I was looking at the Mediterranean Sea. I glanced around and saw more people who had the same characteristics as the men who had been talking.

I looked up in time to see Jakotsu shaking hands with the man and turning to approach me. I waited impatiently as he slowly loped down the deck.

"So, you'd better be used to doing work to keep your bed, because that seems to be the situation here." He waited for me to respond.

I nodded, not really caring what I had to do as long as I could get where I needed to go.

"You realize the risks that come with trying to track a pirate like Captain Taisho, right? I'm not joking when I say you need to be grateful."

"Okay, I get it." I glared.

"The captain's name is Renkotsu."

I nodded. I waited for Jakotsu to say his parting words or something, but he just continued to stare at me in a way I can't say I liked much.

"What?" I finally asked.

"Do you have any questions? If not, we should be going."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What the hell do you mean _we_?"

"I'll be going with you, of course."

"What?" I yelled.

"Didn't I mention that before?"

"No," I ground out.

"Oh. Oh well! I'm going with. Renkotsu is my brother."

That stopped me short. "You have more than one? I thought Bankotsu was the only one."

"After our parents died, Bankotsu always acted as the father-figure of our family. Renkotsu hated it. He did whatever he could to oppose Bankotsu, and Bankotsu hated that. When Renkotsu did something really stupid finally, Bankotsu used it as an excuse to disown him. I'm all Renkotsu has left."

I frowned. I'd never imagined Jakotsu's childhood had been something so estranged. Suppose I should've guessed, with all his oddities.

"Did Bankotsu disown you?"

"No. I go between them. The fact that Bankotsu and Renkotsu hate each other doesn't mean I have to hate them. They're still my brothers."

It was strange to me, hearing Jakotsu talk seriously when he was usually a sick bastard.

After a short silence, Jakotsu said, "Let's go meet him, shall we?"

I followed after him. I shook hands with Renkotsu. It seemed wrong for me to already know so much about the harsh past of someone I didn't even know, but I didn't feel bad enough to go and share my own past.

When I thought of what I'd been through and compared it to Renkotsu, being disowned seemed like it would have been quicker and a lot less painful.


	21. Chapter 21

**Some Pirate/Naval Ship History:** Providing some sort of liquid for the crew of a ship was one of the main challenges back then. The most readily available liquids were water and beer, but these were insufficient for a ship because water quickly was spoiled by algae, and beer soured if kept for too long. In the Caribbean regions, captains took advantage of the cheaper but foul tasting by-product of sugar cane processing, called "kil devil" but later became known as rum. Rum quickly became the official ration on British ships from 1655 on. Unfortunately, the crew members would then have drunkenness and discipline problems. In 1740, and order was issued to dilute the rum with sugar and lime juice, and this became known as "grog." When a scarcity of rum happened on a pirate ship, this was believed to be the reason for rebellion on ships.

The meanest pirate of all time, Blackbeard, said: "Such a day; rum all out. Our company somewhat sober; a damned confusion amongst us! Rogues a plotting. Talk of separation. So I looked sharp for a prize [and] took one with a great deal of liquor aboard. So kept the company hot, damned hot, then all things went well again."

_This chapter was edited/revised Monday, April 5, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 21**

Life on a ship with Jakotsu for company: _Living_ _hell_.

The guy wouldn't shut up! And I even woke one time to find him staring at me with a rather strange look in his eyes. I didn't stick around long enough to know what it was—I just hightailed it out of there after I'd jumped nearly a foot in surprise, restraining the urge to strangle him (as that wouldn't sit well with the captain, his brother).

I glared at the wooden floor of the deck as I helped raise the sails, Jakotsu blabbering on about something from where he stood a few feet away.

When we were finished, I headed to the galley. Jakotsu followed. I told the cook I needed a new bottle of rum. He handed it to me sympathetically, casting a subtle glance towards Jakotsu.

"…How can you drink that nasty stuff?" he was saying. He looked at the caramel-colored liquor in disgust.

"Well, there's not much else to choose from, now is there?" I said sarcastically. This quieted him.

I approached the man at the helm. "How long till landfall?"

"About two days," he replied, his voice deep, raspy, and gruff.

I looked out at the ocean, stretched out ahead of me, seemingly endless. I sighed deeply and as I watched the waves, the same face as always came unbidden into my mind. This time I let it stay, and I reminisced.

* * *

When we reached the continent, I was one of the first to scan the other ships scattered amongst the docks. I thought one looked familiar, but I couldn't see over the ship before it very well.

As we gathered around the Renkotsu for orders, he informed us we were going attack this city. We were low on supplies, and also low on gold, so stealing—"the true way of the pirate," he'd said—was how it would go. I scowled.

I began pacing towards a street, but I barely made it to the end of the dock before I stopped, staring at the chaos in front of me.

This city was already going through hell.

I looked around, confused. This wasn't our creation. It was another's, and if we didn't find out who's it was soon, we all could die. I stared around me, frozen, as screaming women ran past me, herding crying children with them. I couldn't stop myself from wondering, somewhat hopefully, if my old man had done this. Could it really be so easy as stumbling across him?

And then I spotted a person I recognized.

He was not, however, from my ship. He stood, hiding in the shadows. He was looking around the corner of the building he stood against. I approached him swiftly and snatched his shoulder, spinning him around roughly.

He flinched, then his eyes widened considerably. "Inuyasha?" he murmured.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Miroku?" I demanded with a low growl.

"Well…" He was at a loss for words. "Kagome said…"

I flinched noticeably at her name. But I continued to glare at him, waiting for him to continue.

"What?" I finally snapped. "What did she say?"

"To attack the village," he said, a sad note to his tone.

I narrowed my eyes at him. Could he possibly be telling the truth? I couldn't believe him. There was just no way. She hated the idea of killing and stealing like that.

"Don't lie to me!" I roared. "She wouldn't say that!"

"But, Inuyasha…" He gazed at me sadly. This made me angrier. "She really did say it. I swear. She's so different now that…"

But he didn't have to finish. I knew what he was about to say.

This was my fault. _She's so different now that you've left her._

I still clutched his shoulder tightly. I looked down and closed my eyes, shaking my head slowly in disbelief. I felt him place a hand hesitantly on my shoulder, and I snapped my head up, shaking it off.

"She misses you," Miroku said quietly.

"Shut up," I ordered.

"She's so torn up. She stays in her cabin for such long periods of time. She won't talk to anyone—"

"I said, _shut up_!" I yelled. "Which part didn't you fucking _understand_? The 'shut' or the 'up'?"

"Inuyasha," he started. I shook him roughly, pushing him into the wall.

"You won't tell her you saw me. If you value your life, you won't," I warned in a low voice.

He didn't flinch at my claws digging into his shoulder or the dark glare I was giving him or my words. His lips were pressed in a tight line. "Fine, then," he said curtly.

I let go of him and strode off. But I heard it clearly when he muttered, "Coward."

I punched a wall of a building as I walked past it. My knuckles came back bloody, but I barely felt it. I felt more numb than ever, knowing I was so close.

But I wasn't good for her. I had other important things I had to do. She needed to be left alone, and I'd accepted that. I'd known I would probably encounter her again.

This was all true. In theory.

But based on what Miroku had forced me to hear, maybe I was bad for her whether I was with her or not. Maybe I was worse for her if I wasn't near her. Maybe I ought to find her, comfort her, hold her once more…

_No_, I told myself firmly. That would only make it harder. She needed to find her whatever-it-was and get rid of her enemy. She was strong; she could do it alone, right?

I wasn't really in the mood to deal with more people, but I didn't want to know the consequences if I went back empty-handed. I punched in the window of a bar, then turned and entered through the front door. I took my pistol (since the damn Tetsusaiga, I was sure, wouldn't work for me at the moment) and leveled it towards the head of the man behind the counter. He cowered at once, and I would bet my left arm it had more to do with my appearance than my sword.

"All the crated liquor you got. Bring it here," I ordered him, and he nodded feebly and disappeared through a door leading to what I presumed was a back storage room. I listened to him move around back there.

Oh. And here I thought the man wasn't a total idiot. Guess I was wrong.

He came back out with a rifle, aiming in my direction, but it was obvious he was shaking like a leaf. I smirked at him.

"N-now you get out of here," he said in his old, weak voice, "and there'll be n-no trouble."

"Oh really?"

I darted to the left, and he shot wildly, startled. I was suddenly behind him and holding his gun. I rapped the end hard on the back of his skull. He fell to the floor with an unpleasant _thump_. I went through the door he'd gone through before and grabbed two crates that were filled with bottles of liquor, mostly rum.

I was rushing back towards the ship to store the crates in the hold, and that's when I heard it.

I knew immediately who it was, the high pitched cry that I detected above the chaos. I didn't think; I just reacted.

I dropped the crates where I stood and sprinted off in the direction I'd heard the cry come from. I heard it again, and sped up. I turned a few corners, dodged dozens of people, who mostly moved out of the way with the probable thought that I would kill them, and jumped over a few unconscious bodies.

I turned another corner, and I saw her. My eyesight flashed red for a moment when I saw the man clutching her wrists. I could smell blood. Tears. And the fact that the man was a demon.

I charged directly towards him, and heard it when he said, "You're gonna be my woman."

"_No!_" Kagome cried over and over. "Let me _go_!"

"Hey, flea bag!" I shouted murderously.

He turned his head, and narrowed his eyes at me. I was still sprinting, and I was moving much faster than I would've been if I was still human. But, just as I was about to tackle him, he was gone. I felt a strong, rib-cracking kick in my right side. So, he was fast, was he?

I stumbled to the left and when I glanced up, I caught Kagome's eyes. She was staring at me, apparently frozen in place. Her mouth hung open in shock and horror.

I could hear it when she barely mumbled my name. I straightened up to fight back, but the demon suddenly struck a hard blow to my head, and the ground suddenly looked _so_ inviting…

The last thing I heard was Kagome's broken shriek of my name.


	22. Chapter 22

_This chapter was edited/revised Monday, April 5, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 22**

I go up a flight of stairs, feeling the sway of a ship. When I emerge into the bright sunlight of late morning, I instantly spot Kagome standing near the railing, gazing at the waves. I watch for a few seconds as her long hair blows around in the ocean breeze.

As I approach her, she turns and smiles at me, the sun making her face radiant and look almost glowing. I take her into my arms without hesitation and inhale her scent that I had missed so much. She holds me tightly and we both stare out at the waves in silent bliss.

I try to tell her how much I missed her, but no sound comes out. My brows furrow in concentration. I think my inability to speak is only due to the emotion of the reunion, so I wait.

But then the sky suddenly begins to darken; a storm starts raging seemingly out of nowhere. I begin to panic, try to lead Kagome to cover, but she remains clueless and refuses to let me go. And then, somehow, a mighty wave makes the ship jerk, hard, and Kagome is no longer in my arms. I search for her, terrified that she could be hurt, and I feel a pull to look over the rail.

There's Kagome, falling towards the water. I scream her name as she hits the water with a sickening slap that I know I shouldn't be able to hear over the deafening sounds of the storm, but do. I close my eyes against the overwhelming sense of loss, and feel the wind whipping mercilessly against my back.

When I open my eyes, I am instantly mystified. I'm staring at Kagome, but from a great distance. She is leaning over a railing of something…

And it hits me that I'm the one falling, and she's crying my name in horror. Her eyes are watering but the tears disappear in the rain pelting her face. I feel the wind of my fall against my back, but I still don't hit the water. It's as if the ship gets taller and taller, pulling me away from Kagome more and more, but I'm suspended, unable to end my agony by drowning or latch onto anything and climb back to her.

And then, very suddenly, I feel the cold and unforgiving water hit me with unbelievable, knifing _force_—

I jerked awake, my eyes focusing slowly on my poorly lit surroundings. I could see sunlight streaming through cracks in the wood above me.

I immediately noticed two things: One, I was in a brig of an unfamiliar ship; and two, I didn't know where Kagome was.

I stood up shakily, now feeling the throbbing in the back of my head as I remembered what had happened. My rage rushed back forcefully, and I roughly shook the bars holding me in, hoping I could break them. They bent a little, but remained otherwise intact.

I let out a frustrated growl and paced a bit, but the movement made the pain in my head throb worse. I sat down in the middle of my cell, thinking with terrible, bitter irony, _And here we are again. A prisoner._

But I would bet an arm and a leg that this ship's captain would not become so kind to me. If my guess was right, then the captain would be the filthy wolf demon that knocked me out. I wondered, a horrible empty feeling entering my stomach, if Kagome was even on this ship.

I decided to try and put my stupid demon senses to good use and listened very carefully for anything that might help me get the hell out of here. I could hear footsteps on the deck above me, muffled voices that I ignored because they weren't talking of anything important.

And then I heard a voice that sounded like the man telling Kagome she'd be his woman. I couldn't hold back a low growl at the voice. A crew member was asking him about something…

"Good haul, eh, Captain?" the guy asked. I didn't like the tone he was using. Not one bit.

"Heh, I'd say so," replied the demon captain. "That girl is a feisty one."

My vision flashed red like it had before, when I first spotted him trying to take Kagome against her will. My lip curled as I bared my fangs, wanting desperately to rip the bastard's face off.

I tried to focus and listen for Kagome. I thought I heard the faintest, muffled sound of someone crying…

"Hey, scum bag, I see you're awake." I looked up and saw the demon captain himself approaching the _cage_. He was smirking. "It's about time."

I glared at him. "If you touched her, you mongrel, I swear I'll—"

"You'll what? Last time I checked, I'm out here, and _you're _in_ there_." He barked out a short laugh.

I glared at him for half a second before growling, "For now."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Listen, _mutt_, if you don't start treating you're new captain with some respect—"

"Oh, what are you gonna do? Knock me out? Lock me up? Oh wait, you already did those."

"Maybe I'll give you some more permanent damage, you half-breed!" he said furiously.

"Half-breed. That's original," I said sarcastically.

"I'll be damned if I let you get away with treating me, Kouga, leader of the wolf tribe and captain of this ship, with anything less than sparkling gratitude! I should've left you half dead on the streets, but then it wouldn't be quite as fun to have Kagome here, now would it?"

"Why, you little—"

"I'm only keeping you alive because Kagome threatened to kill herself if I got rid of you."

I stared at him. "She said that?"

"No, stupid, I'm just keeping you around because I like you. Of course she said it!"

"Don't you touch her," I warned. "And don't underestimate her just 'cause she's a woman."

"Well she won't need to fight me, she's _my_ woman."

"No she ain't!" I yelled.

"Oh really? She wasn't claimed yet, so she was fair game."

"_Was_?" I repeated angrily.

"Well I haven't marked her yet, but she will succumb to my charms soon enough." He smiled arrogantly.

"Why don't you hold your breath on that?" I muttered darkly.

"I've had enough of your stupidity, mutt-face." And, with that, he strode back to the to the stairs and up out of sight.

* * *

About an hour later, I thought I heard Kagome again. She sounded close, and I looked up. With a shock I recognized she was nearly directly above me on the deck. I yearned to call out to her, but that wouldn't help my situation, I had a strong feeling.

I heard her let out a sound of frustration, and I could picture the look on her face all too well. "For the last time, I am _not_ your woman!"

"Come on, beautiful," replied Kouga, a persuasive tone to his voice, "you will be eventually. Why fight it?"

"Would you _stop saying that_!" Kagome shouted. "How can you possibly think I would ever want to be you _'woman'_ when you treat me like some sort of _thing_, a trophy to be won?"

This made me smile. At least Kagome was still herself (sort of).

"Sweetheart—"

"Don't call me that!" Kagome snapped. "Now you listen here, you thick-headed moron. I am not your woman, nor will I ever _be_ your woman. If you would kindly excuse me, I'd like to see Inuyasha."

"What could you possibly see in that mutt?" Kouga scoffed.

"Don't call him that," Kagome ordered defensively. "And I see plenty of things in him, things that _you_ could never understand or possess."

And, just that quickly, I was sent into a weird sort of joy mixed with terrified panic. She still wanted to see me, but she was also one of the scariest women I had ever met, and I had the feeling she would be _quite_ angry with me…

When I looked up, I was greeted with the sight of her walking towards me, a determined look in her eyes.

I watched her warily as she came to a halt in front of my cell.

"Well, are you going to try and hug me or not?" she demanded after we'd stared at each other for a little while.

I stuttered. "I—I—"

"Come here, you oaf!" She reached through the bars towards me and I rushed to her. I did my best to hug her, which was difficult with the bars, but I still could get a hold of her, which was all that mattered to me for the moment.

"I missed you so much," she whispered.

I seemed to have forgotten how to speak.

When she began to back up, I released her. She kept one hand through the bars, touching my cheek. Just as I was about to lean into her touch, she brought her hand away, and _SLAP_—

My cheek stung unexpectedly. I put a hand to it in disbelief as she glared at me with her arms crossed.

"What the _hell_ was that for?" I asked incredulously. I stared at her with wide eyes.

"How could you do that to me?" she demanded, looking as if she could cry. "And then you go popping out of nowhere and attack a _full-demon_—"

"I'm just as strong as him!" I argued in a flash of anger.

"Oh, is that so?" she asked with biting sarcasm. "And where are we, Inuyasha?"

I scowled at her, silenced.

"That's what I thought. Now, as I was _saying_, why in god's name did you just leave like that? You didn't even say goodbye!"

I just glared at the ground. I knew this was coming. But I couldn't bring myself to answer.

"Inuyasha! Are you even listening to me? This is important—to me, anyway. Why didn't you at least—"

"Because, dammit, it was too fucking hard!" I shouted at her.

She stared at me, shocked by the outburst.

And, unexpectedly, her eyes softened slightly and she took a step forward. I watched her carefully, half-expecting her to slap me again (I errantly thought that this might be similar to what it was like being Miroku).

She reached a hand through the bars, but I stood out of reach.

"Are you going to slap me again?" I asked guardedly, eyeing her and then her outstretched hand.

"No, silly," she said quietly. I somehow knew she was telling the truth.

I stepped forward and let her touch my cheek again, and when I had put as little distance between us as possible, she had her hand buried in my hair.

"I missed you too, Kagome," I told her quietly, spilling my heart to her, my face inches from hers. "I thought about you all the time. It was killing me to be away from you."

"Then don't be away from me," she said simply, smiling ever-so-slightly.

"But I have something important to do, Kagome, and you have your…whatever to look for. You can't stop looking, you can't let Naraku find it first!" I urged.

"I know. But _you_ are more important to me than some silly thing that, for all I know, is worthless or doesn't even exist." She trailed her fingertips up and down my cheek as she spoke, and I relished in the familiar, comforting softness of her skin.

"You knew I was leaving, Kagome," I said, my voice taking on the note of a plea. "You knew it. I never wanted to hurt you, never. I didn't know how much it would affect you, until Miroku…"

She furrowed her brows at me quizzically. "Until Miroku what? When did you see Miroku?"

"Right before I came to find you," I said sheepishly, leaving out the part of robbing the man. "He told me what my leaving did to you, how it tore you apart…?"

She frowned. "I wish he hadn't told you that. And here I thought I was hiding it pretty well."

And then I couldn't take it anymore. I leaned forward and brushed her lips gently with my own in a short kiss.

When I studied her surprised expression, I mumbled, "Sorry. Should've asked first…"

"No, it's okay," she assured in a faint voice as she stared ahead of her, not looking at me.

I watched her apprehensively.

Several minutes of silence ensued, accompanied by my own inner turmoil at watching her face morph between indecision, confusion, and finally a strange recognition.

She focused on me and said, with a tone that suggested her words surprised even her, "I love you, Inuyasha. I love you, whether you believe me or not."


	23. Chapter 23

_This chapter was edited/revised Tuesday, April 6, 2010. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I might have missed in my revisions._

**Chapter 23**

_"I love you, Inuyasha. I love you, whether you believe me or not."_

I stared at her, the words repeating over and over in my head. I blinked once and then said, "I'm sorry, it sounded like you said that you…"

I trailed off as her face fell and she looked down, retracting her hand. She looked on the verge of tears. "Kagome…"

"I'm so stupid," she whispered, more to herself than to me, her voice thick. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha, I don't know what came over me—"

"Kagome, don't cry," I said, reaching out to lift her chin. She met my gaze with watery eyes. "I just—you meant it? What you said—?"

She nodded mutely.

I took a deep breath. "Kagome…" I hesitated. "Have I ever told you why I didn't want to go to Ise Bay?"

"Your brother, I thought?"

"Well yeah, but that wasn't the only reason. I grew up there, and I was ready to settle down…" I scowled at the thought. Oh, how my goals had changed… "And I almost did."

"You almost did what?"

"I almost settled down. Almost got…married."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I never thought you…" She stopped, looking away, her expression strangely sad. "You loved her?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

Her expression softened. "What happened?" she whispered.

It all came rushing back to me then.

_It was a cool summer day, and I was in town to buy some groceries for Rin. As I turned the corner I looked out towards the ocean, but it was not the sparkling waves that caught my eye. _

_It was a beautiful girl with long, straight black hair, who was sitting on the grassy hill that preceded the beach. She was sitting in the middle of a blanket and gazing at something in her lap_—_a book?_

_Without thinking about it, I began to walk towards her. She was just so beautiful, I just had to know her name…_

_By the time I was close to her, she had lifted her head and was staring out at the waves. When I was about to speak, she cut me off and asked, _"Why do you approach me?"

_I stopped short and furrowed my brows. How had she been able to hear me over the loud crashes of the waves?_

"Well, I…"_ I didn't know why. She looked up at me expectantly, and her sharp stare surprised me. _

_She narrowed her eyes at me. _"You are not a demon…,"_ she murmured quietly to herself, looking back down at her lap. _

"What gave it away?"_ I asked sarcastically. She wasn't paying attention to me, though._

"You,"_ she said stridently, turning her piercing eyes back to me. _"Why do I sense demonic pressure from you and yet you appear plainly human?"

_I raised an eyebrow._ "How would I know? I live with my full-demon brother, if that helps."

_She blinked a few times, and she had a look of concentration on her pretty face. _"But it's so strong, it couldn't be,"_ she said in a low voice, and I could tell she was talking to herself again. _

"What's your name?"_ I asked, breaking the silence. She glanced at me, looking me up and down quickly. _

"Why?"_ she demanded._

"Um…"_ I looked at her, wondering why she seemed so cautious. _"Just curious."

_She stared at me for a few long seconds, then looked back at the water_. "My name is Kikyo."

_I watched her as she stared blankly ahead of herself. She appeared to be waiting for something._

_After a short silence, she said, _"If a person gives you her name, it is common courtesy to tell her your own. Or didn't you know that?"

"Inuyasha," _I said, and I wondered why I was so amused by her wintry, pertinent attitude._

_I didn't expect her to speak again, but she was full of surprises. As she stood up and finished gathering her blanket, she turned to me one last time._ "It was nice to meet you, Inuyasha."

I'd always thought it was strange of her to say that, when I compared her earlier words with this last, parting sentence.

_And then, after she had taken a few steps away from me, I said,_ "Maybe we'll see each other again, sometime."

_She paused, glanced back at me, and nodded once. Then she strode off into the crowd and left me staring after her, grinning like a moron and thinking of her pretty face all twisted in concentration._

_It was a short courting period. After having less than six months of late morning brunches, afternoon teas, and elegant dinners with her, not to mention the many strolls through town or around my family's property, I asked her to marry me. _

_I had asked her to take another walk with me around the extensive land that my brother owned. She had gladly agreed, slipping her arm around mine._ _As we talked of nothing important, I stopped in the garden in front of the rose bushes my mother had cherished, when she was alive. _

_Kikyo didn't seem to notice we had stopped walking, and she continued explaining to me how she had been taught by her grandmother to know when a demon or other supernatural being was near, and how she could use spiritual powers to purify them if she was ever in danger. _

_But I silenced her by pressing a finger to her lips. _

"Is something wrong?"_ she asked. _

_She gasped as I reached into my coat and pulled out a small box. _

"Inuyasha…,"_ she said, confusion and a strange warning tone in her voice. _

"I know it hasn't been that long that we've been together. But…but I love you—"

"And I love you,"_ she said, smiling slightly. _

"And I want to marry you."

"Oh, Inuyasha…" _She stared up at me with sparkling eyes._ "I don't know what to say."

_I raised an eyebrow._ "Well, I would hope that part is somewhat obvious."

_She looked to be suffering some inner turmoil. Why, I had no idea. I was struck with sickening realization that I hadn't thought of: She might say no. I'd been so sure she would be happy about it, and say yes right away. But the conflict in her eyes made me look at my feet as a tear slid down her smooth, creamy cheek._

_She lifted my chin and I met her shining eyes with a slightly defeated feeling_.

"Yes," _she whispered_. "Yes, I will marry you."

_I blinked in surprise._ "Really?"

_She nodded, a dazzling smile spreading across her lips. I pulled her into my arms and hugged her. _

_And then, after a month of planning, we were a week away from being married. We were both very happy, and Rin was very involved in helping with the wedding._

_At least, I thought we were both happy. On the days before we were to be married, she seemed a little distant, but I ignored it, thinking she was just nervous and would recover from it once the wedding was over, once it was official. _

_When I arrived at the church, I was told Kikyo would be running a little late. There were some last minute alterations on her dress. But everything would be fine. _

_And I believed that. So you can imagine why I would get a little…upset when someone arrived and told me Kikyo was gone, that she hadn't been able to go through with the marriage. _

_I stormed out of the church, escaping the judgmental whispers that had spread through the pews like wildfire. I started running, and didn't stop until I reached my home. I came here only because she had been staying here for the last few days. I went to her room and pounded on the door. _

_No answer. I opened it, and the room looked as if it had never been used. _

_I left the room, and by the time I reached the front door, I could see Rin hurrying up the path and Sesshomaru wasn't far behind her. I ignored them and paced towards the garden. Rin came and stood by me for a few minutes, trying to get me to speak, but I refused to acknowledge her.__I glared at the ground and wished for this to all be a dream__. I heard the front door close but didn't look to see who it was. I didn't care even a little._"She left me," I told Kagome, no emotion to my voice.

"Oh, Inuyasha…," Kagome whispered. "I'm so sorr—"

"Don't. You have nothing to be sorry for." I looked at her and she was frowning. "Besides…she doesn't matter to me anymore. I have you now. Right?"

She beamed at my words. "Right. And…I still mean it."

I smiled at her, just a little. What I had thought was utterly impossible had just happened. Another person loved me, and when I was my true self, no less. And I'd thought I would never again let someone into my life like I had let Kikyo in.

But then I met Kagome.

"Inuyasha," she said quietly. "It's okay if you don't feel the same…I would understand, after all you've been through, if…"

I lifted her chin. "Don't you go feeling sorry for me," I said light-heartedly. And then I reached for her and she leaned forward, hugging me back.

"Kagome, I don't want to hold you back from what you have to do. And I have something I need to do too. I could never take you away from your goal, after you've been at it for so long." She started to speak, but I kept going. "And that's why I left. You know that, right? I left because I was in the way. I didn't leave you because I didn't want you; that's the most ridiculous idea in the world."

I could feel it when her cheeks lifted and her lips stretched as she smiled. Then she started laughing. Soon she was clutching her sides. I stared at the scene, bewildered.

"What is so funny?" I finally asked. My patience had worn out about thirty seconds ago.

"Inuyasha…," she gasped out. "If that was the only reason you left…then our problem is solved!"

I still didn't understand what she meant, and told her so. She finally composed herself (mostly) and explained. "You stupid, _stupid_ man. Where on _earth_ did you get the idea that you were in the way? I _put_ you on my ship, didn't I? And I kept you there. But you weren't _'in the way_,' not at all. You have been so helpful to me."

"But—"

"No! I'm not arguing this with you. I _want_ you with me while I hunt down whatever I'm looking for. I _need_ you with me. You've already taught me so much."

"But—"

"Would you shut up and kiss me already?" she questioned, trying to look serious but unable to hide the mirth in her eyes.

Needless to say, I complied.

She pulled back and started to distance herself from me. I held fast to her arms.

"Just where do you think you're going?" I demanded.

"I'm going to go bargain our freedom, silly."

I watched her saunter away, disappearing onto the upper decks.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:** I'm baaa-aaack! No folks, this is not an illusion, and you are not dreaming, so don't bother pinching yourselves! Did ya miss me? I sure missed y'all. ;)

So, I am back and ready to get these darned stories finished! I've got so much other stuff bouncing around in my head that keeps getting in the way, so it's certainly way past time that I got them out.

This was finished at 2:20am, so forgive me if there are errors.

Without further ado, I present the next chapter of MCML!

**Chapter 24**

The next time I saw Kagome, she wore a bright smile. I sent her a questioning gaze.

"We're getting out of here," she said to me.

"You weren't gone all that long," I said warily.

"Turns out I'm very persuasive," she said demurely.

Boy, did I know that by now.

"So what's the plan?"

"Kouga's going to let us off when we reach the next city. He said it would take a couple days, tops."

I was curious as to how the hell she accomplished this, but at the same time I had a gut feeling I didn't actually want or need to know.

"So…do I have to stay in here the rest of the time?" I wasn't hopeful, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Unfortunately," Kagome replied. "That was part of the deal. But that doesn't mean I plan on leaving you here alone the whole time." She smiled.

"Where's my sword?"

"It's in Kouga's cabin. He's intrigued by it."

"I want it back. It's no good to him anyway." I frowned. I really hated that stupid wolf.

Kagome looked doubtful. "I can try, but I don't think he'll give it back until we leave. Mostly because he doesn't want you armed."

Hm. I supposed he was entitled to his moments of wisdom. Of course I would use Tetsusaiga against him the first chance I had.

* * *

Two days later, as promised, Kagome traipsed down the stairs with Kouga in tow. He held a key in his fisted hand. Kagome had a bright smile on her face.

"I have half a mind to leave you in here," Kouga muttered.

Kagome smacked him on the arm. "You promised."

"Yeah, yeah," he replied sullenly. I tried my best to squelch a smile, and failed.

I stepped out and went straight to Kagome's side. I wrapped an arm around her possessively. And, partly, I did it just to make Kouga mad. I knew it worked when his face turned red and his glare was a little more intense than usual.

"So, this is goodbye," Kagome said to Kouga. She smiled up at him. I scowled.

"For now," Kouga replied confidently. "Just you wait, Kagome. After a few months with this mutt, you'll come running back to me."

"I don't think that'll happen," Kagome said, a tolerant smile on her face. I suppose she liked that he was so resilient. Or maybe she was just a great actor.

"Well, we better hit the ol' dusty trail," I said, wanting to get far away from this persistent jerk.

"Goodbye, Kouga," Kagome said. "I'm sure we'll meet again eventually."

And we left. I was elated inside, and I didn't do much to hide it.

"Where are we headed to first?" I asked.

"Well…"Kagome paused and frowned. "It would be helpful if we had a ship."

Huh. You'd think that would've crossed my mind at some point.

"With any luck, Miroku didn't take long to notice we were missing. Hopefully he knew to follow Kouga. Maybe if we just stay around here for a few hours, or maybe a couple days, he'll show up."

It was kind of a stretch that he would pick out the right ship to follow, but Miroku had good instinct most of the time. And he had Sango with him. And the whole crew. One of them had to have seen us being taken by Kouga.

We wandered through random streets for a while. We stopped for lunch and then headed back towards the piers to search for incoming ships.

After several hours of this, the sun began to dip below the horizon. Both of us were sore from sitting on the hard wooden bench we'd found that had a decent view of the area. We decided to give up for the day and find someplace to stay.

We stumbled into the first inn we could find and I paid for a room.

When we reached the room, we both halted and stared at the single bed. This was new. Something we hadn't thought about.

I turned to her. "I'm not sleeping on the floor."

"I didn't think you would." She took another moment to stare at the small bed. "Well…it's not like we have to do anything, right? It's just a place to sleep. It's not a big deal."

"Right," I said, nodding. More silence. Awkward, much?

I was the first to get tired of standing. The past few days – who was I kidding, the past few _months_ – were catching up with me. I kicked off my boots, slid my shirt over my head, and plopped down onto the bed.

Kagome bit her lip, looked away, and I thought I saw a blush on her cheeks in the dim light.

"Kagome?"

"Yeah?" she said, her voice a touch higher than usual. She kept her head turned.

"Are you afraid of me?"

"No!"

"Aren't you tired?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you still standing there?" I smirked. I loved messing with her. She was adorable when she was embarrassed.

"Umm…" She hesitated. "Turn around."

I raised an eyebrow at her. She glanced at me and sighed. "Just do it!"

I obeyed. I heard her slip her shoes off and set them aside, then the unmistakable sound of cloth sliding against cloth. I resisted the urge to turn and watch her. I knew she would forcibly remove me from the room if I did, so I kept my head craned to the left.

I felt her weight settle on the other side of the bed. I turned and saw her back facing me. She had removed all but a loose white shirt and her pants. I reached out and touched her shoulder.

"Relax. You trust me, right?"

"Yes…mostly," she said. She made an effort to release her stiff posture.

I laid back and settled my head on a pillow. I closed my eyes and waited for Kagome to do the same. When she finally did, I opened my eyes and stared at her. She was watching me.

"Go to sleep," I murmured.

"You first," Kagome whispered back. A small smile formed.

I closed my eyes again, then reached out and gathered her in my arms, pulling her closer. She let out a squeak and tried to push away. I held tight.

After a moment of struggling, Kagome gave up and wrapped an arm over my shoulder and settled her head against my shoulder. I smiled victoriously. She slowly trailed her fingers through some of my hair, and I quickly dozed off.

* * *

I woke up not remembering where I was. Things came back slowly. Kouga. New city. Room with Kagome.

I opened one eye and peered down at the mass of black hair nestled into the crook of my arm. I nudged her slightly.

"Go back to sleep," she muttered, her voice still thick with sleep.

"Time to get up," I said to her. I cleared my throat. I nudged her again. She groaned.

"Mean," she grumbled. She raised her head to look at me and stick her tongue out at me. I scrunched my nose at her and she smiled.

She sluggishly sat up and stretched. I watched her, and then did the same.

"I'm hungry," I told her.

She laughed. "You're always hungry."

"And?"

"Just saying. Can we check the pier first?"

"Sure. But just a quick look and then breakfast," I said seriously. I was pretty useless without food first thing in the morning.

We went to the pier and it looked the same way we left it last night, so we found a place to eat. We could see if any ships came in from where we sat inside, so we lingered for a while after we were done eating.

When that got boring, we wandered some. And when that got boring for me, I asked, "Now what?"

"I'm not done shopping," she said.

"But _I_ am."

She rolled her eyes and pretended like that conversation never happened. I let out a noisy, long-suffering sigh, which she ignored.

Once she'd sufficiently loaded my arms with boxes of new clothes, we headed back to the inn to drop them off in our room and regroup.

"So, what if Miroku didn't follow Kouga?" I said. "We can't just keep going to watch the horizon every other hour."

"It's barely been a whole day. Probably Miroku had to straggle behind a little so Kouga wouldn't think he was trying to attack."

I sighed. She was right. But I wasn't as full of patience as she was. I felt like sitting around here was doing nothing. It felt like wasting time.

We went back to our bench from the night before and hunkered in for a couple hours of staring at the water. I started to people watch while Kagome adamantly kept her eyes to the horizon.

Once again, our night ended fruitlessly. We found some food and headed back to the inn.

Tonight, the whole single-bed thing wasn't nearly so awkward. We were both tired and instantly fell asleep in much the same fashion as the night before.

* * *

"Inuyasha," someone said.

I groaned and shut my eyes tighter. My brain registered the voice as Kagome's.

"Inuyasha!" she repeated.

"What?" I mumbled.

"Get up."

I dragged my eyes open halfway. The sun had barely risen. My eyes slid closed again.

"Wake up!" she said loudly into my ear. My ears flattened to me head.

"Christ almighty, woman!" I said, annoyed. "You didn't have to make me go deaf."

I rubbed my eyes until I felt more awake and swung my legs out of the bed. Kagome was already dressed.

"Why so early?" I questioned.

"I woke up and couldn't fall back asleep. I just have this feeling."

"About what?"

"I think today's the day. You'll see. They'll get here today."

"If you say so. Let's go."

We ate breakfast at the same place and stood in front a boat that hadn't been docked the night before.

"I know I've seen this ship before," I said. "Where have I seen this before?"

Kagome was equally perplexed. Something was just so familiar about it, but neither of us could name an owner to it.

We went up the pier to see the name.

_Lady Fortune._

I just about burst a blood vessel in my head._ Holy Mary, mother of God,_ I thought_._ I'd recognize that name anywhere.

I looked up in time to see its captain come to the railing and peer down at us.

The infamous Captain Taisho. In the flesh.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: **Please forgive any errors. I didn't feel like going through the whole editting routine today.

* * *

**Chapter 25**

Several beats of bemused silence ensued. And then Captain Taisho's loud, booming laugh echoed through the air.

"Inuyasha, my boy!" Captain Taisho exclaimed. "You're certainly a surprise!"

I scowled deeply. _No_, I thought furiously. _No!_ This was not how it was supposed to go. I was supposed to be the one laughing. I was the one who should've been talking, and _he_ should've been the one struck utterly speechless. No!

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Captain Taisho queried. "I see you still haven't acquired proper manners."

I still sat in seething silence, glaring up at my father. Kagome nudged me.

"Kagome, father. Father, Kagome," I bit out.

"You don't need to call me 'father,' Kagome," Captain Taisho said to her jokingly. "Captain Taisho will do."

Somewhere between all those words, something in me snapped.

"She doesn't need to address you as _captain_!" I said. "You don't deserve it!"

Taisho looked down at me with a sober expression. A faint smile was still on his face, as if he'd expected something like this and it amused him.

"Still harboring old anger, son?"

"Damn right, I'm angry! You abandoned me! Your own _son_!" I couldn't stop. It just kept spewing over. The only way to make it stop would be for him to shut it or for me to walk away, and neither of those would happen. Damn, I hadn't planned on admitting how much the desertion had affected me.

"Inuyasha, calm yourself," he ordered.

I took a deep breath in through my nostrils and stared at the side of the ship. It didn't help. I was angered even more that I couldn't stop the old habit of obedience to my father.

"Now. Are you ready to be civil?" he asked me. I hated his condescending tone.

I flashed a glare up at him. He took that as a "yes," apparently, because he continued.

"Am I correct in assuming you've seen Sesshomaru recently and taken your inheritance?"

"Tetsusaiga is right here," I said, gesturing to the sword at my hip, "so I would've thought it was obvious."

"And you've learned to use her. You look as you did when you were born."

"Life would've been easier if you just left me this way."

"You don't know that, Inuyasha," Father said. "In fact, it would've been much, much harder for you."

"I'm not some wimp. I could've taken it." He still underestimated me. Even now. Honestly, had I expected him to be any different? Of course not.

"Always so arrogant. I'm afraid you inherited that from me," he said, cracking a smile.

I didn't smile. I was still angry inside. Really, at this point, I suppose I was moping. All this time wasted looking for the man, and then we come upon him by accident. It was disappointing.

Kagome let out a gasp. We both turned our attention to her. She was pulling on my sleeve excitedly and pointing.

"They're here ! I told you Miroku would come for us," she said.

I followed her gaze and saw her ship approaching. It was about thirty minutes away still.

When I turned back to my father, he was looking at Kagome curiously.

"I missed something, quite obviously," he said.

Kagome turned to him and blurted, "We were in a city when some guy captured us. I made a deal with him and he dropped us off here. We've been waiting for my crew to come get us for almost two days."

I felt the blood drain from my face. Great. Kagome just blabbed that she had her own crew, and was the captain of a ship.

"Your crew?" Taisho asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yes," Kagome replied. "Mine."

"Inuyasha," Father said. "What exactly is your relationship with this girl?"

"None of your business. Shouldn't you be somewhere else right now?"

"I've got plenty of time. I am captain, after all."

"We're together," Kagome told him. I tried to catch her attention with a look that said "Shut up!" but she didn't look my way.

"Together," Father repeated. "As in you plan on marriage?"

Damn it, old man. You had to go and cross the line on the one subject I was hoping to avoid for…I don't know, forever?

Kagome looked awkward. "Well…"

"We haven't discussed that," I said. "Butt out."

"I have a right to know what goes on in my son's life," he defended.

"Not anymore, you don't," I told him. "You decided you didn't want me around, and now I'm deciding the same for you. Leave us alone."

I looked at Kagome's ship. Closer, but not close enough to be the end of this conversation. I was tempted to swim the rest of the way, and drag Kagome with me.

"Inuyasha, how can you be so rude?" Kagome said. "He's your father, for goodness' sake."

"Kagome, this is my decision, not yours. Stop trying to make me feel guilty. It's not gonna happen."

For a second I thought she might slap me. Instead, she turned on her heel and marched off the pier and to the wooden bench. She sat down hard and turned her head away from my direction.

"Damn," I muttered. I turned to look at my father. "This is all your fault. If you hadn't shown up she wouldn't be mad at me."

Before he replied, and therefore reasoned the blame back to me, I stalked off towards Kagome.

"Kagome, come on. I didn't mean to offend you. Look at me," I said. She kept her head turned stubbornly. "Will you at least talk to me?"

"How can you be so terrible? He's your family, Inuyasha. Be thankful you have him."

And now I realized why she was so upset. I'd brushed my father away like dirt, and she didn't even have a father, let alone other family. I was such an idiot. I was scum. I was the worst kind of awful.

"I'm sorry, Kagome," I said quietly. I knelt in front of her and placed my hands on her knees. "I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry."

She moved her eyes towards me without turning her head. She stared at me for several long seconds before she decided she believed that I was sincere. She looked at me fully and a tear slid down her cheek.

And I'd made her cry? Ugh. Add stupid jerk to the list.

I reached up to erase the tear and she smiled a little. "Thanks," she rasped.

"Kagome!" someone called. We both turned and saw Sango standing at the bow of Kagome's ship, waving frantically. Kagome's face lit up.

Miroku was busy helping the crew to moor the ship to the pier. He looked up and waved at us. Neither of the two seemed surprised to see me.

I sighed in relief. We could get away from this city finally. Although I would miss sleeping in the same bed as Kagome.

"Kagome, we should get our things from the room," I said to her.

"Alright, let's go."

We made it back in less than ten minutes. I was stuck with carrying all the things Kagome had decided she "needed."

I hauled everything into Kagome's cabin and emerged to find Kagome, Miroku, and Sango talking quietly, heads inclined towards each other. I didn't like the looks of that.

Miroku glanced my way and caught my eye, then straightened up. The other two looked at him, then at me, and also stood straight. Uh oh. Not liking this at all.

Kagome approached me. "Inuyasha, can I ask a you a teensy little favor?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Go on."

"Could you maybe…talk to your father about Naraku?" The last words came out quickly, all squished together into one breath.

"Nope."

Kagome's jaw dropped. "You won't even consider it?" she asked incredulously.

"I did. It didn't take much thought."

"You did not! You heard 'your father,' and that was it!"

"I heard the rest. I still won't do it."

"Inuyasha!" she said angrily. "You aren't being fair. You stupid, selfish jerk!"

"Tough," I said. I started to walk away, but she grabbed my arm. I let her pull me back around to face her.

"Please?" she said. She gave me the big sad eyes. "Please, for me? You won't even do it for me?"

Well, see, now she wasn't being fair. How could I say no to her when she put on the big sad eyes?

She started to smile triumphantly, so I must've looked defeated. She jumped up and hugged me.

"Thank you," she said into my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes. Yeah, yeah, Inuyasha the savior. Funny, I was Inuyasha the stupid, selfish jerk a minute ago. I think I preferred being him.

I slugged off the boat and approached my father's vessel. He was standing, arms crossed, while he directed crew members on what to do and surveyed their work.

"Hey, old man!" I called up.

He turned towards me.

"Back so soon?" he asked.

"Kagome wanted me to come over here and ask you about something. Damn woman is too persuasive for her own good."

Father chuckled. "Aren't they all? What is it she wished to know about?"

"She's had a few bad encounters with a guy named Naraku. Real creepy looking guy, next to impossible to kill. You heard of him?"

"What on earth could a girl like Kagome do to fall under the wrath of Naraku?"

"So you know him?"

"Yes, unfortunately. It would do you both good to stay far away from him."

"He's been staying far away from us. We haven't seen him in a long time. Kagome just wanted to know anything that might be useful against him."

"_Against_ him?" Taisho asked incredulously. "As in she plans on fighting him? That girl has something wrong with her head."

"Don't I know it," I mumbled. "She's got a friend who can make weapons that actually have the ability to leave a mark on him. She seems to think that's enough."

"And you're right to disagree. Naraku is a very sick man. Never has had a normal thought process. And he has done some disturbing things that I would never wish on Kagome." Taisho wore a morose expression.

"You mean like how he can get inside someone's head? Kagome's already been through that several times." I scowled, remembering her huddled on the deck of her ship, unable to break free of Naraku's grip.

Taisho appeared to be shocked, aghast at this news. "What's the poor girl done to make him do such a thing to her?"

"She lost some of her memory a long time ago, and he's determined to find what she's forgotten. He wants some possession of hers that's been lost for years, and she cant even remember what it was. I think he must know what it is, but has no idea where to find it."

Taisho was silent for a long time. He stood, taking in all this information. "You've gotten yourself into quite a mess in such a short time, haven't you, my boy?"

"There's Kagome for you. Never a dull moment."

"Indeed," he agreed. "How did you meet this girl, anyway?"

I frowned; no way did I want to reveal that I'd originally started out as her _prisoner_.

"Long story short, she caught me trying to sneak onto her ship. She wouldn't let me off until I explained myself," I lied. "And I refused to talk to her. So I was stuck with her."

I glanced up, gauging his reaction, hoping he didn't catch me fibbing. He looked ready to say something, but didn't. I mentally sighed in relief.

"I'm not sure I'm of much use to you, as far as Naraku goes. I encountered him once, but he didn't attack. Came to me with some ridiculous plan to take over some colony of Great Britain. Hmph!" He focused his gaze on me. "I may be a pirate, but I'm not dense. Nor am I insane."

I returned to Kagome with the news that my father hadn't been particularly helpful. She looked dejected, but she was still determined to find out the truth behind her lost memories.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: **Hello. Urrrrgghhhh.

I officially want to kill this chapter. Have rewritten the beginning like three times now, still not satisfied with pretty much the whole thing, but whatever. Sorry if it's a little…ehh. I visited it several times throughout the day. Basically, I would write several paragraphs, get bored/stuck, come back a couple hours later, and repeat. Although, apparently, there's no such thing as writer's block. I read that. So when a writer says he/she has writer's block, really he/she is just in denial about the fact that he/she has run out of ideas or is simply not satisfied with any of his/her work. Who knew?

ANYWAY. Apologies if you wasted thirty seconds of your life reading my randomness. Sorry for the delay. Had some other stuff going on in the outside world. And thanks for the reviews. You kiddies make me smile.

Oh, I've been reading/writing a lot of stuff in present tense, so I may mess that up a little (this story is predominantly past tense, if you didn't notice). I will try to watch out for that.

**Chapter 26  
**

Urrgh.

Damn.

So. Frustrated. And. Annoyed.

So, yeah, we haven't found anything of interest yet, in case anyone was wondering. Basically, the past month since we encountered Captain Taisho has been dull. And boring.

I'm starting to feel like I'm banging my head against the wall, as far as Kagome goes. We share her cabin now, which was a fun little scandal on the ship for about a week, until the guys realized we weren't doing anything interesting. Just sleeping. Although Miroku still gives me these weird looks, which is kind of annoying.

I'd almost forgotten how Kagome can be so damned infuriating. She's so stubborn. I'm realizing she's got me bending to her every whim and will. How the hell did that happen?

Oh, right. That whole love thing. And the fact that she has this look she uses against me, to get her way, which I seem to fall for every time. I need to change that little circumstance.

Almost to the coast of Africa, which I'm hoping means we are close to having some sort of action.

* * *

I was currently doing nothing, standing at the railing and staring out towards the horizon. I was pulled from my thoughts by Kagome, as she looped her arm through mine and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Inuyasha?" she murmured.

I grunted in response. I wasn't loving that tone of hers. Not one bit.

"Could you maybe…talk to Miroku for me?"

I glanced down at her, eyebrow raised. "And why should I do that when you're perfectly capable of talking to him yourself?"

"Well, you see, it's about Sango—"

"Oh no. No, no, no." I pulled my arm away and she frowned at me.

"Why not?" she demanded indignantly.

"You're the one trying to meddle in their relationship. Don't you try to drag me into it. Ain't happening." I glanced in her direction and froze. There was that face again…_must not _feel guilty...

"But—but—_please_?" she asked. I avoided her heavy gaze, for surely that would be the end of me.

"No way," I said through clenched teeth.

"Please…" She crept closer. "For me?" she said in a low voice, startlingly close to me now.

"No…" I was losing it. She was too damn persuasive for her own good.

"Pretty please? With sugar on top?" Her fingers trailed up my arm, and I sent a grimace her way. I caught a glimpse of her eyes. She was working up to tears, I could tell. She knew I hated it when she did that; I never knew what to do, so I always, _always_, gave in and did whatever she asked to make her happy. Meaning: I lost the argument.

"Kagome, don't start—"

"Start what?" she asked innocently.

I glared at her. "Don't you pull that face on me. I'm on to you. It won't work anymore, so give it a rest."

She let out a "hmph" and smacked me on the arm. I smirked down at her irritated face. She raised her hand up to smack me again, but I dodged out of the way and took off towards Miroku, who was standing on the opposite side of the deck, utterly clueless.

"Inuyasha, you get back here!" Kagome called huffily.

I came to a halt next to Miroku, who gave me a curious look before glancing back to see a fuming Kagome stomping away. I smiled triumphantly.

"Trouble in paradise?" he asked.

I scoffed at the word _paradise_. "Hardly. Kagome getting irritated with me isn't exactly rare."

"Very true." He nodded serenely. "What's upset her this time?"

"I wouldn't—err…" I paused. Do I tell him? Ah, hell with it. "She wanted me to talk to you about Sango."

Miroku contemplated this with raised eyebrows. "And what is it she wanted me to know about the lovely Sango?"

"I don't know. That's why she got all huffy. I said no before she could tell me what it was."

"Inuyasha!" Miroku shook me, clutching my shirt. "This stuff is important! I need every bit of knowledge I can get about dearest Sango in order to win her!"

I eyed him, brushing his hands away. "You know, you can be really creepy sometimes. Do you realize how you sound?"

"Never mind that. I must win the heart of my Sango, or else all my years of practice will be in vain!" He had this faraway look in his eyes that made me wonder if he'd lost some of his marbles.

"Practice? Is _that_ what you call it?" I asked. "How does Sango feel about that term?"

He stared at me, aghast. "You think I would tell her that secret? Then she would know that it wasn't my natural charm that won her over!"

"Didn't realize it was a secret," I muttered to myself. And I was pretty sure Sango wasn't an idiot. She must know _all_ about his "natural charm."

* * *

As I lay in the cabin waiting for Kagome, I contemplated this whole twisted journey. It seemed like I'd known her for a much shorter time, rather than several years.

And my demon blood had been awakened now. I'd always had this feeling, this sense that I wasn't entirely _right_, that I was meant to be something greater, better. Never had I considered being a half-demon. This was totally new territory for me, something I'd never encountered before.

Yet I still adjusted to it rather quickly. Because I was finally _right_, although I didn't exactly seem that way to many, many people. I belonged to my own kind, neither fitting with humans nor demons.

And then there was Kagome. Stubborn, infuriating, accepting, loving Kagome.

I smiled at her as she hopped into our shared bed and she snuggled into my chest, idly running her fingers through some of my hair. I wrapped my arms around her. I would never deserve her trust and acceptance. But that was something I was willing to overlook. She may not agree with me now, but I wasn't exactly going to try to rush her to come to her senses. Do I _look_ stupid?

Never mind.

* * *

The next morning I awoke before Kagome, as usual. I studied her, once again marveling at how much younger she looked when her features were smoothed by sleep.

My head snapped up when I heard yelling. Not the usual yelling of the crewmates preparing the ship for another day's sailing, but the distressed kind. I frowned, and shook Kagome gently to wake her.

She blinked owlishly at me. "Hmm?"

"Listen," I instructed. She lifted her head and we sat for several beats of silence, taking in the sounds of the outside world. She turned her alarmed gaze on me, and we both jumped up, pulling on garments and rushing outside.

We blinked at the unusual brightness of the morning's sun, peering all around us, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

And then we both squinted at the horizon, where a ship loomed ominously. It slowly, steadily, grew larger.

An approaching ship? This is why everyone was all upset?

Kagome was already rushing to Miroku, who had a spyglass trained on the ship. She snatched it from him, focusing it. Then I could see, even from a distance, as the color drained from her face and she lowered the glass with wildly trembling hands. I ran to her, taking the spyglass from her fingers and confirming my suspicions.

Naraku. Of course. Who else?

We must be getting close to the long-sought destination, the mysterious hiding place of Kagome's possession which Naraku so ruthlessly hunted. Was it possible that Naraku had been tracking us, following us, all this time, somehow knowing that we had finally set the right course?

Miroku and I were already dashing after Sango to the secret supply of weapons. The only ones that could defeat Naraku. Sango was tearing apart wooden crates when I barreled towards her. I grabbed at random, stuffing daggers and various other sharp objects into my belt, boots, and other convenient places. I examined an ordinary-looking pistol, sending a question look at Sango. She replied by handing me a box of ammo, and I quickly flipped the lid, pausing to examine the swirling color of the bullets. I loaded two guns, put them in holsters, and ran to find Kagome.

She was still frozen at the railing, staring in horror at the fast-approaching ship. I roughly shook her, and she snapped her eyes towards me.

"This is nothing," I told her firmly. "We not only have more weapons than last time, we have Sango. She's an experienced demon slayer, right? You need to get armed. Hurry up!"

She allowed me to drag her with me to the cargo hold, where other crewmembers where riffling through boxes of the regular weapons. I accepted a proffered cutlass, although I would probably use mostly Tetsusaiga. Always good to have a backup, though.

I handed several things to Kagome, before she finally broke out of her terrified stupor and found her own weapons. We returned to the deck, and Sango, Miroku, and I surrounded Kagome. She was the most vulnerable of us all. If Naraku was able to reach her mind, she would be useless and in need of defending.

Naraku's ship was impossibly fast. It would only be moments until his evil creations and demon minions would be able to cross over to our decks. He may not have reached our ship yet, but already I could see him, could _feel_ those disturbing red eyes boring straight through me and to Kagome, who I stood half in front of.

And suddenly, I sensed Kagome stiffen behind me, and then collapse as all three of us turned to help her. But as soon as I placed a hand on her, tried to grasp under her arm, the strangest thing happened.

I was overcome with dizziness, my muscles were frozen, ice ran through my veins, up my spine and spread over the inside of my skull. I stumbled a step, losing my grip on Kagome, and fell over, onto the deck beside Kagome, who's eyes were saucer-wide and unseeing. Everything went blurry and I couldn't hear anything.

A final crash of iciness shot up my spine and encased my body, and a hauntingly familiar, sickening laugh echoed within my head.

* * *

**A/N: **Not to ruin the effect of that ending, but can you believe I wrote the last scene with "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain, then a Sara Bareilles song, and finally "Breathe" by Anna Nalick playing in the background? My mind works in strange ways.

I repeat: Urrrrgghhhh.

Need. Sleep. It's 2:42 a.m. And this isn't even the latest I've stayed up this week! (i.e. last night I could not fall asleep until past 4 a.m. There was this whole earwig/spider fiasco...long story, don't ask)Summer messes with my sleep schedule far too much.

I hope you guys are satisfied with this, as I do not wish to attempt writing this chapter again. I really ought to start planning things out more…this story could go on forever otherwise! Although I am kind of getting close to my original idea, so that's always nice. Hope you enjoyed this, tried to give some humor, but then decided we needed a break from fluffy-angsty disgustingness.

On that note, I have to ask you something. Are you a fan of Twilight? Fan of Seth Clearwater? Need something humorous to read? I highly recommend "Well, This Sucks: Life According to Seth" by Krum Cake. It is freaking hilarious and made of shiny, golden win. One word: buffalo. If you read it, you'll understand.

Gahhh. Sorry for the horribly long notes. Go. Review. Be merry.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** Hello, my beautiful readers. Thanks to all of you who have stuck with me for this story. I know I haven't been the best at updating. A million apologies for that. I finally made a little planning sheet, so I'm a little more organized now. I had planned on writing this, like, two days ago, but it sort of slipped my mind. Oops? I predict at least five or six more chapters. Woot!

…what? Read!

**Chapter 27**

I was paralyzed. I couldn't concentrate on anything. I tried to reach out for Kagome, for anything, but I couldn't even feel my limbs let alone use them.

Suddenly, I had memories flashing before me, ones I don't remember trying to bring forth in my mind.

My mother, my father, my mother dying, my father leaving, hateful words and glares from Sesshomaru, anger, anger, lots of anger, Rin, taunting, Kikyo, so much Kikyo, all my long, painful memories of Kikyo, my proposal, the almost-wedding, her letter, all of it, Rin's pitying eyes, more anger, leaving, finding my father, that girl, the one who gave me the fake jewelry, the fake ring I showed to my father, his degrading laughter, waking up to see the ship sailing away, laying confused on a random beach, travelling, travelling, Kagome—

I tried to stop the onslaught of memories, but a sharp pain jolted through my skull and made my spine go rigid. What was this? What was happening—

More Kagome, meeting Sango, the map, Kagome, all our petty arguments, playful sword-fighting, everything, anger, confusion, hate, bitterness, hesitant affection, sadness, overwhelming sadness—

_No_. I refused to relive my leaving Kagome. _Refused_—

The sword, Kagome's danger, my transformation, rejection, so much hatred, so much self-pitying hatred, Jakotsu, his brother, that stupid city, Miroku, Kouga, Kouga's stupid, arrogant face, Kagome, so much Kagome, make it stop, _make it stop_…

I felt someone's hands on me. I was being shaken. I pulled at the corners of my mind, forcing myself to open my eyes, and I suddenly jolted upward. I stared around me, bewildered, and then boiling anger formed. I looked at Kagome, sprawled before me with saucer-wide eyes that watched me carefully.

I tried to speak, but my voice came out as a croak. I cleared my throat several times and tried again.

"What the bloody fucking hell was that?" I rasped furiously.

Several beats of silence, and then—

"Did it happen to you, too?" Kagome whispered.

I raised an eyebrow at her, then it all clicked into place.

Naraku. He was in my head. He made me relive basically my whole life in a matter of seconds, or minutes…how long was I frozen like that, anyway? Wait a minute…

"Did it happen to me _too_?" I repeated carefully. "I didn't know Naraku could do that to more than one person at a time."

I watched as the blood slowly drained from Kagome's face, and then from the faces of Miroku and Sango, who loomed behind Kagome.

"He—he can't, I mean—he couldn't, but maybe—" Kagome cut off, not saying what all of us were thinking.

Could Naraku have possibly gotten _stronger_ since we last saw him? Is that what he'd been doing? Refining his ability to control a person's thought process? And was that all he practiced, or was he even more impossible to kill physically, too?

This was not good. Not good at all.

And then we all remembered that people were fighting all around us. Probably, we should start helping out.

I jumped up, and Kagome followed a step behind me as I looked for a way to get to Naraku's ship. I grabbed a loose rope, wrapped an arm around Kagome's waist, and we swiftly swung over. We hit the ground running, weapons drawn, taking down anyone that got in our way.

There was Naraku, standing on his raised decks, like Lucifer gazing over the chaos he had created. A new wave of hatred and fury ripped through me and I took down every demon I encountered with a single blow. I could sense Kagome's confusion at my leaving her behind, but I ignored it. I needed to get to Naraku, to tear into his flesh, cause him pain—

This feeling did not seem entirely healthy, I thought. Oh well. He deserved it.

Finally. I'd reached the short staircase that would take me to Naraku. Just as I was about to ascend it, I heard, above the raucous yells, a cry of pain.

_Kagome_. Damn it all. What had she done now? I scanned the ship for her, and found her confronting a demon I recognized. What was her name again? Kagura.

I hesitated, torn. I knew Kagome could handle herself, but even I'd had trouble with Kagura last time. If she was injured badly enough, she would go off somewhere. But if she wasn't in danger of losing due to only minor injury, she seemed to have a wicked temper that made her even more vicious an opponent.

Damn, damn, damn. I cast one more hateful gaze Naraku's way. He looked almost amused, like he knew my predicament. I sprinted in Kagome's direction.

I could see Kagura, wielding a fan that had luminous blades at the tips. I scowled deeply at the blood that glistened on a few of the blades. I looked past the fan and saw Kagome clutching her arm, blood slowly seeping and dripping through her fingers. She was breathing heavily, hotly, glaring at Kagura.

I rushed forward and swept my sword in Kagura's direction, She turned towards me and swept her fan in front of her in a lightning-quick motion. A strong wind forced me to stumble backwards, placing my sword in front of me and sticking it into the deck to keep me in place.

I looked up to meet Kagura's crimson eyes. She looked exactly the same as I'd last seen her. Barefoot, wearing a loosely secured kimono, hair up in a bun with feathers dangling from it. She smirked.

"Is that who I think it is?" she said.

"So you remember me," I replied, smirking. "Do I look a little different?"

She held an overconfident smile on her red-painted lips. "Just a tad."

I saw Kagome glaring at me. "What?" I asked her.

"I can handle this, Inuyasha," she spat.

"I didn't realize bleeding profusely was 'handling it,'" I replied sardonically.

She rolled her eyes at me, turning her attention back to Kagura. She quickly reached down and slid a knife out of her boot, throwing it with precise aim at Kagura's chest. Kagura spun back towards Kagome and flashed her fan in front of her in another movement so quick it was a blur. The dagger slid off course and went over her shoulder.

Kagome was frowning, the skin between her eyebrows creased in concentration. See, I knew she needed my help. How was she supposed to defeat a wind demon if she just kept throwing things at her? Clearly, that would not work.

Kagura suddenly rushed forward, the deadly tips of her fan sweeping towards Kagome. Kagome put up her good arm and was dodging out of the way, but I could see she wouldn't be quick enough to avoid some serious damage from the sharp tips. I jumped forward, putting myself between Kagome and Kagura. I had Tetsusaiga in front of me in a flash and Kagura's blades clinked against it.

She snarled at me, annoyed. "This isn't your fight, boy!"

"It is now," I told her.

"Inuyasha—" Kagome started.

"Shut it," I said over my shoulder. "You need my help. The sooner you accept it, the sooner we get done here."

She had nothing to say to that, so I lunged at Kagura again. She made a spinning movement to get out of the way, and without pause she was aiming her fan at me. She leapt forward in a graceful movement, blades splayed and ready to dig into flesh. I ducked, remembered Kagome behind me, swung Tetsusaiga in a high arc, and felt as it connected with skin.

Kagura cried out. She stumbled and her fan fell from her hand. She cradled her hand to her chest, blood spewing from the deep gash I'd made in her wrist. I wasn't sure if I'd hit bone or not, but I guessed that I had, based on how much blood dripped down her forearm, to her elbow, and soaked into her sleeve and the front of her kimono.

"You will pay for this," Kagura said in a low, deadly hiss.

She bent to grab her fan, which she tucked into the folds of her kimono. She reached up her shaking, uninjured hand to retrieve a feather from her hair, throwing it downward. A wave of strong wind rushed out in all directions, and next thing we knew, she was spinning up and away on her giant feather.

I turned to Kagome. I checked out her cut, which wasn't too deep. I ripped off a strip of fabric from my shirt and quickly wrapped it around her arm. It would have to do for now. It staunched the flow of blood for the most part.

We headed back in the direction of Naraku, a renewed determination in our steps. Not many tried to get in our way, which was odd, but we weren't complaining.

The stairs. We swiftly went up them and stood beside each other as we stared into those glinting, red evil eyes of his.

"You two finally showed up. I was almost worried I wouldn't get to see you, Kagome," he said in that sickening, oily voice of his. "I would've been quite put out if Kagura had disposed of you herself."

Kagome simply continued to glare at him. I saw her fingering a blade at her hip. Naraku saw it too, and grinned.

"Now, now. Let's not be too hasty, my dear. I was hoping to dig around your thoughts a bit more, now that you're at such a close range." He looked hopeful, which just made me want to hit him until he was a bloody pulp, crushed beyond recognition.

Suddenly Kagome cried out in pain as she bowed backwards. Her eyes were clenched shut, her lips twisted into a scowl of pain. She hovered in the air like that, feet barely brushing the ground, arms loosely spread outwards, fingers curled like she wanted to make a fist but couldn't quite make it.

"Kagome!" I shouted. I looked over to Naraku, who was gazing at her intently, his eyes unfocused.

I let out a furious yell and lunged towards him with Tetsusaiga, not thinking. He turned to me, and reached out with his hand to grip the end of my sword. I stared incredulously. I'd been going at him, all my force put behind my sword, and he stopped it like it was nothing. I glanced at Kagome. She was still bent backward in her immobile state.

It was true. Our assumptions, _they were all true_. He was able to be inside her head and still fight. And not just fight, but overpower anyone who was foolish enough to take him on.

A wave of fortitude rocked through me. I would defeat him, even if it killed me. Who was he to decide he could do whatever he wanted, even invade people's minds? Nobody. He was nobody. He was a disgusting filthy waste of space, and I would remove him from the world.

I grabbed the pistol loaded with Sango's bullets and aimed at him. He smirked, confident in his safety. I pulled the trigger and put all the bullets into him in a matter of seconds. He stared at me in shock, then looked down at his wounds. Blood slowly seeped from several of them, smoke coming up as the bullets burned within him. I heard Kagome's body collapse with an unpleasant _thud_ as his control over her loosened.

And then, one by one, the bullet holes closed up, and it looked as though he was merely spattered in someone else's blood. I stared in astonishment. _Impossible_. Sango's weapons were all that could defeat him, and even those didn't work anymore?

Only, that wasn't true.

They still sort of worked. I mean, he bled, didn't he? For a few seconds. If I could just make him bleed enough, I might be able to destroy him somehow.

I wanted to rush to Kagome, to make sure she was alright, but I couldn't let my concentration falter from the situation at hand. I backed up a few steps and grabbed two daggers, ready to aim and throw them. I felt a hand nudge my ankle and I looked down at Kagome. She was rousing from her state of unconsciousness. I bent down and helped her up.

"You okay?" I murmured.

She gripped my sleeve for a moment, steadying herself, and then straightened up. She nodded at me. She glared at Naraku, who watched us with a mild interest, her hatred for him revived by his latest mind-intrusion, this one probably the most painful and intense of any she had ever experienced.

"Do you see, now?" she growled at him. "There's no way to get around it. The block in my mind can only be removed by the one who put it there. No matter how many times you try to force it away, you will never succeed."

She unsheathed a long blade from her side, its colors swirling. The swirling, usually languid and slow, was happening more quickly and sharply now, almost as if it was reflecting Kagome's feelings. She gripped the sword and set her feet in a wide stance. I remembered the daggers in my hand. Simultaneously, I threw one of my daggers and Kagome lunged forward, aiming for Naraku's gut.

My dagger planted itself just below Naraku's collarbone. He frowned deeply, in pain. He waited several moments, looking as though he were concentrating, and the dagger slowly absorbed into him, rancid-smelling smoke rising from his wound the whole time. There was some blood left, and a dark scar, but no cut.

Meanwhile, Kagome's attack made a deep gash in its intended target. Naraku's hands clutched at his stomach. A quick line of smoke appeared as the blade cut him, and he bled profusely for almost a minute before the wound closed and left another dark scar. Kagome and I watched as this happened, dismayed. This would be much harder than we'd expected.

Naraku slowly drew his sword from his side. He raised it before him. I couldn't tell who he would attack. He watched us for a few seconds before leaping forward. Without thinking, I moved out of the way of the oncoming blade. I didn't realize where Kagome stood, partially behind me.

I listened in horror as the sword plunged into Kagome and she screamed out. I watched as she fell to her knees, clutching the place where the sword had entered her. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open, gaping. She stared down at the sword emerging from her abdomen. It had entered her about half a foot from her naval, and blood seeped from it.

I looked to Naraku, who was staring with an angered expression. I was confused by this.

"Stupid boy," he snarled at me. "If she dies, my work will be useless! And here I thought you cared for her, but you stepped out of the way and let her take the blow that you surely would have recovered from."

I stared at him, eyes wide, mouth agape as I grasped for words that wouldn't form. I turned to Kagome and scooped her up carefully, although she still winced and sucked in an agonized breath through her teeth. I made my way off the ship, and vaguely heard as Naraku called out to his little demon minions to stop fighting.

His words echoed in my head. _And here I thought you cared for her, but you stepped out of the way and let her take the blow._

I was so horrified at myself. How could I have done that? How could I have completely forgotten about Kagome like that? What the hell was I thinking? This was all my fault.

I brought Kagome directly to her bed. Miroku and Sango were there, as well as the doctor that often was present on the ship. We had to remove the sword, which was the most awful thing I could imagine.

I couldn't move from my place, across the room from the rest of them. Sango held Kagome down to keep her from squirming as the doctor and Miroku removed the sword. Slowly, sickeningly, it slid from her abdomen and blood gushed from the wound. Kagome's face was a glistening sheen, sweat drops sliding down her temple. Her face was twisted in anguish.

They set to work pressing bandages to the wound, trying to slow the flow of red that stained the sheets and her clothing and their skin. It didn't seem to be slowing. Kagome's face had become pale. Pale from loss of blood. She would pass out soon, which I thought was a good thing, because then she wouldn't have to feel the pain. Right?

The doctor had a suture kit ready. He quickly set to work on spreading disinfectant on the wound, which made Kagome wince, and closing it as best he could while Sango rubbed a damp cloth over Kagome's forehead.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said, standing before me and placing a hand on my shoulder. "Why is Sango doing that? Why aren't you helping Kagome?"

"I think I've done enough," I said darkly.

He looked at me curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

"This is all my fault," I whispered, finally saying my thoughts aloud, making it real. "It's my fault she was stabbed. If I hadn't—I can't believe I did this…"

"You didn't do this," Miroku said, brows furrowed. "You would never hurt Kagome like this. Stop speaking nonsense."

"It is my fault," I insisted. "It should be me that's in pain, not her. If I'd just stayed still, this never would've happened, Kagome would be safe, this is entirely my fault, it _is_—"

"Inuyasha!" Miroku interrupted harshly. "Stop it! You need to be there for Kagome. Stop pitying yourself. We've all had enough of it. You need stop being so self-centered for ten minutes and help Kagome!"

I stood, stunned. Had he really said that to me? He thought I was self-centered? And self-pitying?

Here's the scary part: I knew he was right. I was all those things. I was immature and selfish and Kagome was the exact opposite. She wouldn't be sitting here, watching me die if the situation were reversed.

I knew I never deserved her, but now it was more undeniably true than ever.

I rushed over and snatched the cloth from Sango's hands. She looked up at me, surprised, before scurrying out of the way. I knelt down beside Kagome, the most important thing in my life, and frowned at her clammy, pale complexion. She'd fallen unconscious finally. I dipped the cloth in the bowl of water and wiped it over her face. I glanced at the doctor's work. He was just finishing his hasty suturing. Her wound was a ghastly, angry line of torn skin with black lines X-ing across it.

"How is she?" I asked.

"She's lost a lot of blood. All we can do now is hope none of her organs were punctured and try to keep her comfortable." The doctor paused, gazing at Kagome's face. He sent a careful, sympathetic gaze at me. "You may want to prepare yourself for the worst," he said gently.

I felt nauseous. Despair swept through me. _Prepare myself for the worst_. Meaning, prepare for if she _dies_. Dies. Dead. Forever.

I gripped Kagome's hand in a vice-like grip. I thought she squeezed back a little, but I probably imagined it. What would I do without her? What would my stupidity finally cost me this time? Without her, I wouldn't be able to do anything. I wouldn't function right. I would lose my mind.

I stared down at her face. She was beautiful. Had I ever told her that? I couldn't bear the thought of her dying without my ever telling her that.

No worries. Because she wouldn't die. I wouldn't let her. And when she didn't die, I would tell her every single day of her life that she was beautiful. And that I loved her.

Damn, I hadn't ever told I loved her, had I? What was _wrong_ with me? The stupid thing with Kikyo happened years ago. _Years_. And I still couldn't get over it? That needed to end. I no longer was affected by Kikyo. She could be dead, for all I cared.

Oh. Bad choice of words. I shuddered.

I placed my hands on either side of Kagome's head, cradling her face like she was made of fine china. My eyes took her in greedily, memorizing every single contour. I wished she was awake, so I could see the exact shade of blue of her eyes and store that away in my memory as well.

"Please," I whispered to Kagome. "Please stay. You can't die. You just can't."

* * *

**A/N:** Phwew. I'm all sad now.

Wow. This took me four hours to write, with minimal breaks for random distractions. I tried to make it longer, because I won't have any time to write and therefore no time to update next week. Next week is Wedding Week, as my sister's to-be mother-in-law likes to call it. Will be spent making last-minute arrangements, getting nails done, and de-stressing my sister as much as possible. Fun, fun. So, yeah, don't hold out for an update, as it will not come until the following week.

Hope this chapter was up to snuff. Please, please, please let me know what you thought. All kinds of feedback is very much appreciated.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:** Gosh, sorry about that. I finally get back into the writing thing, and my computer freaks out and Microsoft Word stops working. But I've gotten it all straightened out (for now, at least). I meant to write this like two weeks ago, I swear. It's been floating around in my head since I finished the last one.

Aaaanyway. Read, my darlings, read!

**Chapter 28 **

Okay. Hold on.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

I've had plenty of time to think today, since Kagome's been mostly unconscious. I feel awful about this. I can't even do anything for her. Sango said that just sitting next to Kagome in her room is enough, and I disagree, but I'm doing it anyway. Just in case.

Anyway, where was I? Oh, right.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

Did it really take _this long_ for me to admit that I love Kagome? Did I honestly wait for her to come this close to freaking _dying—_as in_ dead, _as in_ gone forever—_to acknowledge it? Really? Just…seriously, what the hell?

If I could punch myself in the face, I would.

* * *

So I've been thinking some more. Dangerous, I know. But there's nothing else to do and my god this chair is uncomfortable after five hours.

Mostly I've been trying to decide what to say to Kagome the next time she wakes up. And she _will_ wake up, I'll be damned if she doesn't. We're almost to land, and I've heard there's a doctor on the island that can help Kagome better than the one on the ship.

But really, what do I say to the person who nearly died because of me? Especially when it's Kagome. Jeez, I'll be lucky if she doesn't try to return the favor once she's healed.

I'll admit it. I'm afraid of her. She's freakin' scary when she's mad.

I looked up when Miroku walked into the room with a fresh bowl of water.

"How is she?" he asked.

"The same," I replied quietly. I looked back down at Kagome, removing the cloth from her forehead. I frowned at how warm it was. She'd had a fever all day, and all we could do was keep replacing the cold cloths on her head to try and keep it from spiking too high.

I took the bowl from Miroku, immediately soaking the cloth in it and wiping the sweat from Kagome's face. She groaned softly, her closed eyes tightening. I straightened up; could she be waking up again? The other two or three times she'd awakened she'd been incoherent for the most part, and unable to move much.

"Kagome?" I whispered, brushing her hair away from her face. Her eyes opened to thin slits, trying hard to focus on me.

"Yasha?" she mumbled. I gripped her hand tightly, and felt a very weak squeeze from her in response. Her eyes slipped closed again, and I looked to Miroku.

"How much longer?" I asked.

"Actually, I came in here to tell you that the island is in sight," he said. "We should reach it in about an hour."

I looked back at Kagome's too-pale face. "Good," I said quietly.

* * *

I paced outside. They wouldn't let me in because apparently I needed to "shut up and let the nice lady do her work." Or something like that.

I looked up as Miroku stepped out of the old lady's hut. I grabbed him by the shoulders and demanded he tell me how Kagome was doing.

"She's fine, Inuyasha," he said patiently, fatigue clear in his voice. "She's resting. The old woman was able to clean her wound much more thoroughly than it was cleaned the first time." He put on a sad face. "She made me leave while she bandages it."

I frowned at him because of the mournfulness in his voice. So, he wanted to see _my_ Kagome undressed, did he? I settled for smacking him on the side of the head. Next time, though, he would be much sorrier for having those particular kinds of thoughts about Kagome.

It was night time again. I was hard to believe only one day ago I'd made the stupidest mistake of my life by not letting Naraku stab me. Who'd have thought that not getting injured was such a bad thing?

I went back to pacing, waiting for the old woman—Kaede, I think, was her name; she was old, with graying hair and a patch over one eye—to tell me when I could see Kagome again. After what seemed like hours, she shuffled out of her hut and told me Kagome was sleeping, and I could come inside if I wanted. I immediately rushed to kneel by Kagome and was pleased that she seemed to have more color in her face than she had when I'd last seen her.

"She is a strong one," Kaede said. "I know from experience that such a wound is very painful. She will need assistance in walking for several weeks."

I already knew Kagome was strong. But learning that this kind of wound was particularly painful didn't exactly help my mental state.

Sudden exhaustion swept over me and my head spun. When was the last time I'd slept? About two days ago? Kaede observed me silently. Stifling a yawn, I rubbed my eyes and straightened my shoulders, but just doing that felt like so much work.

Kaede spoke up. "Sleep, child, I will watch over Kagome."

"I'm fine," I grumbled, despite the growing heaviness in my limbs. What if Kagome woke up and all she had was some strange old woman she'd never met before watching her? And she wouldn't know where she was. Someone needed to be there when she woke up, and I was determined for it to be me.

"Don't be foolish," Kaede said gruffly. "The girl is in no danger of waking up for the rest of the night."

I scowled at her. What did she know, anyway?

She held my gaze and lifted her chin fractionally. Challenging me. I narrowed my eyes and stared back, unblinking.

"Ye will not win this argument," she told me.

Finally, eyes burning, I blinked and looked at Kagome. She _did_ seem to be sleeping pretty heavily, which was unusual for her. I slowly stretched out beside her, careful of her waist, and rested my head on the edge of her pillow. With one last glance at Kaede, I closed my eyes and fell asleep instantly.

* * *

When I awoke, I heard voices.

(No, they were not in my head.)

I recognized them after a moment of listening—Sango, Miroku, and Kaede. I felt someone stir next to me—Kagome!

I sat up so quickly it blurred the room around me. Three pairs of eyes swung towards me, but I was busy watching Kagome. She blinked a few times before she focused on the ceiling.

"Where…," she mumbled hoarsely. I was about to tell someone to give her some water, but Kaede was a step ahead of me. She knelt beside Kagome and slowly put the glass to her dry lips. Kagome sipped gratefully before clearing her throat.

"Where am I?" she asked. Her voice still sounded thick with disuse but it was stronger. Her eyes rolled around, taking in her surroundings, before she settled on me. She smiled faintly at me.

"We're on the island, Kagome," I told her. "We're in Kaede's hut. She helped heal you yesterday."

"The island?" she whispered. I frowned. She _would_ focus on that.

"Yes, that island," I said. "More importantly, how are you feeling?"

She shifted beneath her blanket and scowled slightly. "Sore."

"You've been mostly unconscious for a day and a half," Sango said. "I'm not surprised you're a little stiff."

Kagome processed this, and suddenly her eyes grew wide. "Naraku—"

"Is gone," I said grimly. "He left after…"

"After he stabbed me?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. This topic came sooner than I'd expected. I noticed Miroku and Sango exchange a look before Miroku took over.

"Yes, after he stabbed you," he said quickly. "His sword is still in your room, I believe."

"Sango, maybe you could examine it?" Kagome suggested. Sango nodded. Kagome continued to examine the hut. Her eyes rested on Kaede, silently sitting cross-legged in the corner. "You must be Kaede."

"Aye, child, I am," Kaede replied. "I will take care of your wound for as long as you remain on this island."

"Thank you," Kagome said with sincerity. "So much."

Kagome looked back at me. She tilted her head slightly as she examined my expression. I tried to give her a decent smile. "Well, aren't you going to hug me or something?"

This time, the smile came easily. "I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable," I said, motioning to her waist.

"Nonsense," she said lightly, holding her arms open.

And I lost it.

I nearly fell into her arms, and held her as tightly as I dared. She seemed surprised, but wrapped her arms around me nonetheless. I inhaled the smell of her hair deeply, memorizing it for the hundredth time.

"I nearly lost you," I said, slightly embarrassed at how my voice caught. I couldn't help it.

She laughed quietly. "You could never lose me, silly."

I pulled back, looking at her face. She gently brushed her hand over my forehead, pushing hair out of my eyes. "But you—you nearly died."

"I'm still here," she pointed out. "I knew you'd never forgive me if I did—or even allow me to die in the first place. I wasn't all that concerned about it. And you shouldn't have been either."

"How could I not be?" I asked rhetorically. It wasn't like I could control how much I worried about her health. It just kind of _happened_ on its own.

Miroku cleared his throat. I sat back and looked at him. Hmm…that expression he had was awfully familiar…

"Shall we leave you two alone?" he asked suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Don't make my hurt you," I warned. Sango rolled her eyes at Miroku and smacked him on the arm.

"Inuyasha, will you help me sit up?" Kagome asked, but then looked to Kaede. "Is it okay for me to do that?"

Kaede gazed at Kagome with her one good eye. "It may cause ye some pain, but if ye are careful not to reopen your wound ye should be fine."

I slowly slid an arm under Kagome's back and helped her into a sitting position. She sighed in relief, and bent her head in several directions to stretch her neck.

"Much better," she commented. "Now, we should make plans to start searching the island soon. Was there any indication as to where we should begin looking, Sango?"

"I'm afraid not," Sango replied. "But the island isn't very large. I think we should ask around a bit, and then start searching every inch of the island, starting with stores."

"Kagome," I cut in. "Kaede said you'll need help walking for several weeks. We may have to postpone these plans of yours for some time."

"Well, you can just help me get around. Problem solved," she said simply, shrugging.

"Kagome, we don't know what kinds of people we'll encounter," I said slowly. "I can't carry you around and sufficiently defend you at the same time. What if I accidently hurt you?"

"You won't," she insisted. "I trust you. I _know_ you. It's not like you to do that sort of thing."

"Just like it's _not like me_," I said, voice trembling, "to step out of the way and let you take a blow?"

She furrowed her brows. "Right," she said bemusedly.

"Inuyasha," Sango warned. "Now is not the time for this."

So she didn't know. Kagome didn't realize what had happened. She thought Naraku was truly aiming for her when he injured her. I stared into Kagome's eyes, blue as the ocean, and searched them for something, _anything_, that would show the anger I was expecting.

But there was nothing. Just confusion and a bit of concern as she stared back.

"Sango, Miroku?" Kagome said, turning away from me. "Could you go back to the ship and let everyone know I'm okay?"

They both nodded and left without a word. Kaede stepped out, claiming she needed to check her garden or something. Kagome finally turned back to me.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"I—" I stopped. How did I tell her? _Should_ I tell her? I hesitated a moment before continuing. "No. I'm just concerned for you, is all."

Her eyes softened. "We can do this," she said confidently, placing a hand over mine. "Together, I know we can. Please? We can try searching for one day together, and if it's too hard on me, we'll wait. I promise."

"First," I said, "you need to rest for a few days before we get you standing. Then we'll try."

"Sure," she agreed.

Silence stretched while we both sat in the hut. The only light was the warm glow from the candles set up in each corner. I felt Kagome give my hand a squeeze after a couple minutes. And that reminded me—there was something I still needed to say to her.

"Kagome, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," I started, saying each word carefully. "When I thought I might lose you, I realized something. First, I should tell you that…you're beautiful, in every way possible. You know that, right?"

She smiled at me. "I do now."

"And second…" I met her eyes. "I love you."

Her smile grew. She titled her head slightly, lifting her hand and stroking my face gently. Finally, she said, "I know."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. For some reason, I felt lighter. Like a weight had been lifted from me.

"Sorry I didn't tell you earlier," I said sheepishly, feeling the heat in my face as I blushed.

She laughed. "Don't worry, I knew you'd come around eventually," she told me, amusement in her tone. "Now kiss me already, you stupid man."

* * *

**A/N:** Phwew. Hope you all liked this. I thought it could use some fluffiness after the last chapter, no?

Let me know your thoughts; feedback is much appreciated! Hopefully I can get the next chapter written without issues. Cross your fingers!


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:** I'm realizing that ending a chapter like I ended the last one is bad for my mind. Because not only do I feel less inclined to write more when it's not some sort of cliff-hanger, it makes it harder to come up with a way to start the next chapter. So…expect more cliff-hangers, I guess.

Haven't been satisfied with this chapter, as usual. That's why it took so long. And I started school two weeks ago, so that kinda sucks and all.

**Chapter 29**

As I suspected, Kagome was not ready to walk after just a few days of bed rest. The moment she'd been balanced on her own without any help from me, she cringed and reopened her wound a little. Kaede immediately made her lay back down so the stitches and bandages could be replaced.

A week later, Kagome tried again, and she was quite a bit better. She could only take a few steps before she'd reached out and put a lot of her weight on my arm, but it was better than her first attempt. I'd helped her walk outside, where we sat in the grass for lunch and then she had to go back inside to take her medicine. We did this for several more days, and finally she begged me to take her into town.

So I carefully lifted her, one arm scooping under her knees and the other around her waist. Normally I would've carried her on my back, but I was too worried that she would hurt herself trying to climb on so I made her concede to this arrangement. We went to a little clothing store so she could get some new things, since she'd been wearing practically the same outfit since we'd arrived on the island.

I noticed Kagome looked tired after shuffling around the store for a while, so I forced her to let me carry her back to Kaede's hut. I have a feeling she only agreed because she was getting so worn out so quickly, and she knew I would never let her leave the hut for another week or two if she fainted or something. (Which is true.)

Finally, three weeks of rehabilitation later, she could take wobbly steps around outside without me standing directly next to her, waiting to steady her, so I had her climb onto my back. Of course, I knelt down to the ground, practically on my knees, so she wouldn't have too much work to do, and she settled herself between my shoulder blades easily enough. Her arms wrapped around my neck securely and I brought us farther into town than usual.

Oddly enough, we encountered Miroku and Sango that very same day. After Kagome had woken through her haze of painkillers, they'd gone to find rooms at a hotel because Kaede's hut was very crowded with five of us in it. They'd said they would go around the town to find whatever clues they could, and occasionally stopped by to keep Kagome company.

"Kagome!" a voice called from behind me. I turned and met Sango's surprised gaze. "How are you feeling today?"

"Much better, thank you," Kagome replied. "This is the farthest we've gone yet. Anything new?"

"Afraid not," Sango said, frowning slightly. "Have you seen Miroku yet?"

"No. Have you guys been searching together or separately?" Kagome asked.

"Usually together, but he disappeared on me while I was talking to a store owner a few minutes ago. Where could he have gone…" She trailed off, seeming like she was talking more to herself than to us.

Sango glanced around, hoping to spot the dark haired man. I had a feeling of what I would see when her eyes locked onto something behind me to the left and her face darkened in fury. I turned and sure enough, there was Miroku, talking it up with a few waitresses at a store. He had that all-too-familiar expression on his face, the one meant to be charming. He held the hands of one of the girls in his.

Sango stomped over to him, grabbed him roughly by the shoulder, and interrogated him angrily. His face transformed into one of innocence, although his guilt was obvious. I tuned out their conversation, him trying to explain himself with weak excuses while Sango yelled at him.

"Where should we start?" I asked Kagome.

"I'm hungry," she said decidedly. "Kaede hasn't been letting me eat real food for three weeks. Just that mushy stuff for breakfast and broth for lunch and dinner. If you value your life, you will find me something better."

I laughed at her empty threat. I couldn't blame her; I'd probably say the same thing, although I would've made threats much sooner. I walked into the first restaurant I saw and carefully settled Kagome in a chair. I noticed she was watching me, her expression slightly quizzical.

"What?"

"You always handle me like I'm porcelain doll about to break or fall apart in your hands," she told me.

"Well, you are fairly breakable," I told her.

She made a face at me, but smiled. "I'm sturdier than I look, you know."

I raised a brow at her. "Says the girl who was handicapped for weeks from a single sword wound to the gut."

She stuck her tongue out. "We can't all be super-fast healers like you, Mr. _Half Demon_."

I rolled my eyes. "You're still fragile," I mumbled.

She ignored me in favor of ordering three people's worth of food. I ordered something small, because I knew I'd end up having to eat most of her stuff anyway.

She shoveled food into her mouth for a few minutes before she slowed down, nibbling on bread here or taking a small bite of meat there. She'd barely gotten through one person's worth of food before she gave me a guilty glance that meant she wanted me to finish her food. Rolling my eyes, I slid one of her plates across the table and she smiled.

Full and satisfied, we paid and got ready to leave. That's when I noticed Kagome was a little green.

I watched her for a long moment before speaking, slowly and steadily. "Do we need to go back to Kaede?"

"No, no," she insisted. "I'm fine. I swear."

"Really?" I asked, unconvinced. "Because you look a lot like you're about to relive lunch. Or faint. Or both, which would be even more unpleasant, by the way."

"I'm just…a little dizzy," she said, pausing to swallow hard. She had a sheen of sweat on her face.

I scooped her up carefully before she had time to protest and marched her back to Kaede. As soon as she was sitting back on her little bed, she covered her mouth with a panicked look in her eyes and Kaede handed her a bucket. Kagome's lunch came back up seconds later, and—

Is she _crying_?

I rushed over to her, worried. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" I demanded, frantically wiping tears from her cheeks.

"I just—wished I could—be more useful," she bawled, pausing to take breaths between her sobs, which were gaining strength and volume.

"Kagome, you are useful," I asserted.

"No—I'm—not!" she wailed. She was in full break-down mode now. God, all I could think about was I hope she doesn't break her stitches again instead of ways to calm her down. "I'm useless and I can't walk or eat or do _anything_!"

I sent a desperate look to Kaede. _What do I do?_ Technically, she was right about the walking and eating. And if you can't do those, it's hard to be helpful in our situation. But that's what she has me for, right?

But…the eating part was my fault. I should've known better. If Kaede didn't want Kagome to eat certain things yet, I should've continued giving Kagome the bland meals she complained about.

It's just so damn hard to say no to Kagome, though.

Kaede, sensing my helplessness, swooped in and wrapped and arm around Kagome's shaking shoulders. She talked to Kagome in a soothing voice and gradually Kagome quieted, only a few hiccups and sniffles left. She accepted a glass of water to rinse her mouth, then gulped the rest down greedily.

"Um…" She hesitated.

"Yes, child?" Kaede said.

"I'm…hungry," Kagome said in a small, embarrassed voice, eyes averted.

Kaede chuckled. "I will make you something to eat. As ye learned the hard way, ye are not ready for such difficult to digest foods yet."

Kagome nodded, shamefaced. "Sorry," she mumbled. I couldn't tell if she was sorry for getting me to buy her the stuff or for eating it. Probably both.

* * *

The process of going through town was pretty boring, to say the least. Most people just gave us these weird looks. I'm not sure if it was because I was carrying Kagome on my back everywhere, or because we were looking for something we couldn't describe.

After about a week of searching, we ran out of people to ask and had to decide how to go about leaving this little town. The best idea was the Kagome and I stay behind until she was strong enough to walk on her own for the whole day and have Miroku and Sango move on. And so they gathered their things and we agreed to meet for breakfast in the morning before they left. (Kagome wanted to say goodbye, of course, because she's weird and emotional that way.)

And this is the part where things get a little…odd.

I carried Kagome into town in the morning like I said, right? But then when we were waiting for Miroku and Sango at the little restaurant near their hotel, they were really late. After we sat there for about half an hour, we decided to go check their hotel for them. When we asked the people at the front desk about them, we were told they never returned the night before.

So by now Kagome's starting to freak herself out. She was going into full-out panic mode. I stepped into the street and peered around the area carefully, looking for signs of the missing duo. I took us down the block and looked into some of the forest that bordered the town behind a grouping of tiny houses. When I made to enter them, Kagome finally came out of her panicked oblivion and pulled my hair.

"Ow! Damn it, Kagome, what was that for?" I demanded.

"We can't go in there!" she exclaimed.

"And why the hell not?" I asked. Then I remembered something. "Like _you're_ gonna stop me? I'm the one walking, therefore_ I_ decide where we go."

She tugged one of my ears angrily. "We are _not_ going into the creepy forest."

"Stop that!" I growled. "What makes the forest so 'creepy'?"

"We don't know what's in there. Plus, those don't look like the kinds of trees we have back home," she said, referring to the tropical-looking plants.

"Well, of course we won't know until we go in. What if Sango and Miroku are out there? You want to leave them for dead?" I asked, knowing her response.

"Well…no, but—"

"But nothing. We're going, whether you like it or not, so just shut up and stop trying to pull my hair out."

She gave a final annoyed tug on my hair and I continued on my merry way.

So, I may have underestimated exactly how different this forest was from the ones back home.

* * *

**A/N: **Kinda short, but at this point I don't really care. I'm happy to at least have been able to get this much written, 'cause my mind is elsewhere and does not want to cooperate when it comes to this story.

I'm thinking of writing a story based on Snow White. Thoughts?


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:** The people that reviewed showed some interest in the Snow White idea. Look for that story when I'm done with this one. I'm determined to get this darned story finished in the next couple weeks, although I still am resolved to post one chapter about once a week.

P.S. I am not a doctor. Nor do I wish to be one in the future. I have no idea how long a stab to the gut takes to heal, but my sister had hernia surgery on her abdominal muscles last year, and I figure that's close enough. So I'm going off what I heard of her discomfort.

**Chapter 30**

We got lost after about ten minutes. We were completely turned around, and I'm pretty sure I saw that tree over there not too long ago. But at one point, I could've sworn I picked up on a very faint scent of our missing friends.

So, at least we got the location right. Just needed to narrow it down a bit.

I focused hard on trying to find their scent again. This time when I followed it, I would go slower, be more careful. Kagome was a bundle of nerves on my back. Her were wrapped around my neck more tightly than usual, and I could see her wringing her hands over and over.

Oh, this would be a long day. I could just feel it.

* * *

About an hour later, we were back on track. It was really a slow-going process. I kept getting distracted by the strange scents of this forest that were unfamiliar to me, and Kagome needed to rest often because all her stress was tiring her out. Hell, all her stress was tiring _me_ out.

I could only wonder what had possessed those two to wander into some random forest on their hunt for Kagome's object. There was no clear sign of human life out here. Maybe someone led them out here, and that someone was the owner of one of the many scents out here that I didn't recognize. Although I would normally be able to at least identify the smell as human—

OH HELL. Not good. Not good.

They were stupid enough to come in here with something _not human_? What were they _thinking_? Oh wait, there's no way they _were_ thinking! Because Sango and Miroku would've been perfectly capable of knowing when someone wasn't human. So they did this on purpose. They had to know we would come looking for them and inevitably find them.

Ohhh, I was gonna kill them.

But Kagome couldn't find out. Not yet, anyway.

Apparently I'm not all that great at hiding my mood. Kagome noticed and commented.

"What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" she asked.

I scowled. "Nothing."

Well that was convincing. Not.

"You liar," Kagome said, laughing. I felt her wince a little after she laughed, which only made me more upset. "Come on. You can tell me."

Since I'm not good at lying to her, I went for defensive. "Well _excuse me_ for not being all that excited about having to trudge through this stupid forest to find your stupid friends!"

"Inuyasha," she said shortly. "There's no need to take that tone with me. Unless you'd like to lose an ear, quit being such a jerk."

That sufficiently shut me up. I was in no position to defend my ears, what with my hands being occupied with holding Kagome's legs. I smiled. While she was in control over the sensitive appendages of my head, there was no reason I couldn't torment her a little in return.

So, because I was completely bored, and because it was almost time for a break anyway, I squeezed her thighs a little. She didn't really seem to notice. So I inched my hands back a bit, and then I could feel her stiffen.

"Hey," she said shakily. "Quit it."

"Not so fun now, is it?" I teased.

She tugged my hair a little. "I mean it, Inuyasha."

I jerked my hands forward, catching her behind the knees. She gasped and her hands, clasped in front of me, slid back until they were right at my throat. If I'd been fully human, that probably would've made me gag.

"Inuyasha!" she growled. "_Stop it_!"

"Sorry, did I do something you didn't like?" I said innocently.

She straightened up a little and pinched my right ear between her thumb and forefinger.

"You don't even believe I'm serious about losing an ear, do you?" she accused.

"Oh please," I said, smirking. "Like a little thing like you could do me any harm."

She pinched harder and pulled. I yelped and swatted at her hand, momentarily forgetting that I was holding her up. Her leg slid down my side and, comically, couldn't reach the ground. Kagome's hands were in a white-knuckled grasp, once again at my neck.

"Inuyasha!" she shrieked.

I couldn't help it. I started laughing. To make her even more panicked, because it was just fun so see her reactions, I loosened my grip on her left leg. She squealed again.

"Don't _drop _me!" she cried.

By now I was somewhat beside myself. For some reason, this whole thing was just so ridiculous that it warranted hysterical laughter. It had been a very long time since I laughed like this.

I bent my knees so Kagome's foot could touch the ground and let go of her other leg carefully. She stumbled a little when she let go of my neck, so I put out a hand to steady her. She smacked me.

"Hey!" I said.

"You are such a _jerk_!" she told me indignantly.

"Wha—you started it!"

"You're such a child!" she yelled.

"Says the girl who threatened to _pull off my ear_! A little much for me just being a little grumpy, don't ya think?"

"That's beside the point!" she spluttered. "You nearly dropped me just now!"

"I wasn't going to drop you," I said, rolling my eyes.

"How was I supposed to know that?" she demanded.

"Come on, would I do that?" Then I abruptly straightened up. I wouldn't drop her, but I would let her get stabbed. Then I remembered—she still didn't know that was my fault.

God, I had to tell her. It was going to keep eating away at me if I didn't. I was so terrified of what she would say, what she would do if she knew.

"Inuyasha?" She waved a hand in front of my face. I looked down at her. "I lost you for a minute there."

"Sorry. I just…got distracted," I said lamely. "We should keep moving."

* * *

So, like I said, once the idea of having to tell her about the Naraku incident re-entered my mind, it ate away at me until I couldn't stand it. I started having trouble staying on course. Kagome seemed to notice my distraction. Observant, that one.

"Inuyasha, we're never going to catch up with them if you keep letting yourself be distracted," she said, and in my head it sounded a lot like nagging.

"I know that," I said, annoyed.

"Why don't we take another break?" she suggested.

"You just said we wouldn't catch up if we keep getting distracted," I pointed out. "You really think a break would help?"

"I just want to stretch a little."

I set her down and stretched my arms and back a little. I was momentarily sidetracked watching Kagome stretching. She hesitantly bent at the waist, testing her muscles. She didn't go very far before deciding she wasn't quite ready for that. The guilt wiggled its way back into my head. I looked away.

All right. I've had just about enough of this. I am going to tell her right now. What's the worst she can do? Get mad. We were in the middle of nowhere; it's not like she could run away before I had a chance to catch her.

"Kagome," I said quietly.

She looked at me, noting the change in my voice. "What is it, Inuyasha?"

"There's something…I've been meaning to tell you," I said. I hesitated. "I'm not sure how you'll take it."

She walked over to me, placing a hand on my arm and trying to catch my eye. "Go ahead. I'm sure whatever it is isn't as bad as you're making it. Tell me."

"It's about that night on Naraku's ship. When we were fighting him." I took a deep breath. "About how he stabbed you."

She looked confused. "Keep going," she encouraged.

"Well, I…" I met her eyes, determined to get this out. "That sword was directed at me. Not you."

She furrowed her eyebrows, searching my face. "I don't understand."

"I was standing in front of you. Remember?" Slowly, slowly, realization dawned on her. Suddenly, I was urgent, desperate to explain myself before she said anything. "I—I wasn't thinking. I saw it coming at me and I just stepped out of the way and…"

"You mean…" She paused. "You were supposed to get stabbed, not me? But…why?"

"He knew I would heal pretty quickly. He knew I was stronger than you, so probably he just wanted to weaken me. But my mind wasn't working right, I was running on instinct, and it just…happened," I finished feebly.

"I understand," she said softly.

I stared in disbelief. Where was the anger? "You do?"

"I wish you hadn't done that, obviously," she said slowly. "But how can I be angry with you for something that was purely by accident? I might have even done the same thing in your position."

"But…aren't you mad? Furious? I'm the reason you can't even walk on your own most of the time." What was I saying? I wanted her to yell at me? Why was her acceptance so much harder to take?

"No, I'm not mad," she told me decisively. Her expression changed. "Have you been worrying about that this whole time?"

"Well…" I didn't actually want to admit it now. I should've known, really, that she would react this way. It was so very _Kagome_. "Yeah. I've been feeling so guilty and awful since this stupid thing happened. Ask Miroku—I was a total mess when you were still passed out."

I wasn't sure why I told her that. I guess I just wanted her to know, to show I wasn't totally useless. Not for the whole time, anyway.

She grabbed my hand and squeezed it between both of hers. "You're so stupid, you know that?"

I sighed. "I guess."

She smiled. Then, for the first time in quite a while, she gave me a kiss. It was short, but it felt nice.

"You need to stop worrying about me so much. You call me small and fragile," she said, "but I'm much stronger than I look. You, of all people, should know that by now."

This was true. I often underestimated this woman in front of me.

* * *

Well, with that little issue finally out of the way, we made much better progress. We walked another mile or so when I noticed the plants looked more trampled than others in the area. We'd finally found a path. Created by humans, because animals were much more cautious of that.

Miroku's and Sango's mixed scents were growing stronger. We were catching up. By the end of the day, hopefully we would've found them. During our next short break, I climbed a tree to check the sun and our location.

I could barely make out smoke in the distance, presumably from the town we had been in. The sun was bright in the middle of the blue sky. Greenery stretched out in all directions. I jumped down and reported my sightings to Kagome.

"I wonder what might've happened to them," Kagome said worriedly. "I hope they're all right."

"I'm sure they're doing fine," I said, unfazed. Miroku wasn't bad, but Sango was the experienced fighter. If she couldn't holding her own against whatever they might encounter, _then_ they would be in trouble.

Another mile. Another hour. More trampled plants. Stronger scents of the pair. Boring, boring, boring.

And then, finally, a change. I was looking far ahead, already familiar with the pattern of crumpled plants on the ground. I noticed the trees looked a little different up ahead. I pointed this out to Kagome.

She squinted. "Your eyes must be seeing farther than mine, because this all looks the same to me."

I looked more closely. It randomly dawned on me that we hadn't run into any trouble in here yet on this long day.

Oh, great. I probably jinxed it now.

As we grew closer, I realized that the change in the trees was that there was less. As if someone had cleared them out for some unknown reason. Ten minutes later, we were very close. I had Kagome hide behind a tree while I climbed up it as stealthily as I could.

I peered through the foliage, and realized there was a hut not unlike Kaede's in the clearing. Granted, it looked a little more rickety and weatherworn, but it was still unmistakably a hut. I listened for voices.

I jolted. The voice I picked out first was strangely familiar. Why would I recognize a voice in the middle of nowhere? It wasn't Miroku or Sango either.

No, it wasn't either of them. I just couldn't place it. I tried to see movement that wasn't there, unsuccessfully.

And then a figure passed by in a flash. I noted dark hair, slim build. I was pretty sure it was a woman, but it was hard to tell from this distance.

I climbed down and crept forward a little. I pressed up against a tree and looked around the edge when I was as close as I dared. I waited, and just when I thought the figure was either gone or made up by my mind, I saw it again. Or rather, her, because it was quite obvious now.

I was frozen. This was impossible. No, it _couldn't _be—

It was Kikyou.

* * *

**A/N:** _Dun dun DUN_! I know many people don't like cliffhangers much, but at the end of a story you should just expect it. Sorry if the end of last chapter made the beginning of this one seem like it should've been more exciting. I didn't really notice until just now that it was like that.

Please review, my lovelies!


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: **Please don't hate me! I know I said I was gonna finish this like ASAP, but I got busy with school and stuff. (BTW, AP Chemistry is frickin hard. Fer reals.) But it's no-school November, meaning I have lots of days off and little with which to fill my time. Perfect for finishing this beast, no?

**Chapter 31**

I stood stock-still in total disbelief, clinging to the tree that hid me from sight. It was a full two minutes before I remembered that breathing was kind of important. I couldn't seem to blink either. I stared straight ahead, at the tree that hid Kagome. She would be wondering what was taking me so long.

As soon as I had the thought, I saw her head slowly creep around the edge of her tree, her eyes questioning. She saw me and tilted her head in confusion. I forced myself to move and made spastic waving motions, trying to tell her to move her head back. She sent me one last inquiring look before disappearing.

Something slammed into the forefront of my mind. A random memory. Of when I first met Kikyou—

She could sense demon presence. She had sensed it in me before I even knew it was there. Which means…

I swallowed hard. I strained my ears for any sound that might indicate she was still walking around her little camp. Nothing, except…what _was_ that? It was a barely-there hum. A strained, tense sound. Like that of a bow being—

Ohh no. This was bad. Very bad. She was pointing an arrow straight at me, I could feel the weight of it now. I sucked in one more breath.

I cleared my throat quietly, then paused, listening. I could hear her breathing now.

"Reveal yourself," she ordered in a low, firm voice.

I put my hands up a little, trying to convey harmlessness, and slowly stepped to the left and turned. I met her eyes past the tip of the arrow pointed at my chest. I could see the recognition there, then bewilderment and doubt.

"I don't suppose you recognize me," I said, still holding my hands up nervously.

She scrunched her eyebrows. "You aren't…"

"Kikyou," I breathed. "It's—it's me."

She just looked me up and down, disbelieving. "But—no, you couldn't be. That's ridiculous. How do you know my name?" she demanded.

"I know your name," I said carefully, "because I thought I was going to marry you."

There it was—the flinch. The little bit of remorse I had always wondered if she felt. Suddenly, I was much more confident.

"I know your _name_," I continued, noting the bitter anger seeping into my voice, "because I thought I was in _love_ with you. Because I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with you. And now look at me—" I motioned to myself. "I'm a half-demon. Looks like you had it right all along."

She stared, her brown eyes wide. She let out a breath, and I could see her slender fingers, still holding the arrow in place, loosen slightly. After several beats of silence, she lowered the bow, very slowly. My hands dropped.

Before I knew what was happening, she had thrown the bow and arrow to the ground and run forward, throwing her arms around me. So shocked by the action, my arms just hung limp at my sides.

"I never thought I would see you again," she whispered. The smell of her engulfed me, and for a moment I was back at my home, walking through the garden with her.

And then reality returned, due to one little voice: "Inuyasha?"

Kagome. Hatred towards myself flooded through me. How could I have forgotten about her? While she was still injured, at that! When would this awful irresponsibility towards her safety ever stop?

Kikyou released me, looking around my shoulder curiously. I ignored her, rushing to help Kagome to the clearing. She had her eyes trained on my face, questioning.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, meeting Kagome's intense gaze only briefly. "So…Kagome, this is Kikyou. Kikyou, this is Kagome."

I paused, waiting for some onslaught of questions, but none came. I looked up when Kagome and Kikyou simply nodded politely to each other. Kagome had this weird expression on her face, though, and I had a feeling that there would be questions later. I remembered that Kagome knew who Kikyou was, but Kikyou had never heard of Kagome until now.

I furrowed my brows, turning to Kikyou. "What the hell are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"

She faltered. "It's…a long story. One that is far too boring and inconsequential for you to hear."

I nodded once, not really believing her.

"I could ask you the same thing," she added.

"We're looking for our friends," Kagome told her. "We were staying in town, and they disappeared. This forest was the only place left to look. I don't suppose you've seen them?"

Kikyou smiled, but there was something off about it that I just couldn't put my finger on. "I'm afraid not."

Suddenly, Kagome made a pained noise and clutched at her side. I rushed to her, and she leaned on me heavily.

I looked at Kikyou. "Would you mind if Kagome rested in your hut for bit? She's still recovering from an injury."

"Well…" Kikyou looked at the hut, hesitant. I narrowed my eyes slightly at her wariness. Was she hiding something?

Errantly I wondered why I was so mistrusting towards everything she did or said.

"It's just a few minutes, Kikyou," I said, unable to keep the edge out of my voice. Before she could stop me, I walked with Kagome to the small door and swung it wide open.

In the far corner of the room, bruised and disheveled, were Sango and Miroku, tied up back-to-back and gagged. Kagome gasped, and staggered forward a step, wanting to go and help them. I held her in place and turned angrily on Kikyou, but she already had her arrow in place, pointed directly at my heart, point blank.

"You've left me no choice, Inuyasha," she said, sounding regretful. "I wish you hadn't gotten yourself wrapped up in the girl's affairs. Perhaps then I wouldn't have to kill you."

"No!" Kagome said, interrupting. Kikyou's gaze flickered over to her, but her arrow stayed trained on me. "Don't, please! I never asked him to help me with this."

"Oh, but dear little Kagome," Kikyou said with faux sweetness. "That makes it all the worse."

I studied Kikyou carefully. Quietly, I asked, "Who do you work for?"

Kikyou's dark eyes slid back to me. She smiled. "I get the feeling that you already know, Inuyasha dear."

I gritted my teeth. "Naraku," I seethed.

Kagome's head whipped towards me. "_What_?" she hissed.

"How else would she know about our little scavenger hunt?" I asked her. "Why else would she have Sango and Miroku tied up like that?"

Kagome sent a look back into the hut, where Sango watched with wide eyes. Miroku was unconscious, his chin resting against his chest. He had a dark bruise blossoming around his right eye, which was nearly swollen shut.

"Of course," she said. "Of course she works for Naraku. I'm surprised I didn't see it sooner." Her face scrunched in confusion. "But why would she have done this to them? Unless..."

She met Kikyou's cool gaze with wide, probing eyes. "Unless they found something."

Kikyou smiled. "Finally put it together, have you? You know, when I heard your name, I was half worried you would sense it's presence. How did one of such insignificance as yourself come to own such a precious thing, I wonder."

"Let me see it," Kagome demanded, her voice rising. "I have to see it! Where is it?"

"I have stowed it in a safe place, of course," Kikyou said, tilting her head to the side slightly. Something glinted around her throat. The chain of a necklace. Then I noticed a rounded lump under her shirt, attached to the chain; was that it? Did that belong to Kagome?

"Around her neck," I said lowly to Kagome. Her eyes zeroed in on the bit of chain that showed and she narrowed her eyes in determination. Before I could stop her, she flung herself at Kikyou.

"Give it to me!" Kagome cried. "It's mine!"

Kikyou had dropped her bow and arrow, and pushed Kagome away with a strength I didn't know she possessed. Kagome rolled to the side and was about to pounce again when I felt a strong sweep of air against my face—a distinctly abnormal occurrence in a tiny clearing surrounded by trees.

I looked up in time to see a familiar figure descending. Her name was at the edge of my mind; I had fought her before.

She stepped gracefully onto the soil, her fan held coyly in front of her face. Only her blood-red eyes showed, and they were focused on me. I could tell she was smiling. Lowering her fan, she revealed the rest of her pale, painted face. Her dark hair, swept back into a bun, had two white feathers stuck in it. Kikyou and Kagome had stopped to stare at the new arrival.

Kagura.

"Well, hello there, Inuyasha," Kagura said amicably. "Fancy meeting you here. Did you miss me?"

* * *

**A/N:** Short, I know. The good news? I have a decent chunk of the next chapter written and the rest planned out, and because you guys are so wonderful and loyal, it will follow the posting of this chapter very shortly.

Reviews are greatly appreciated! :)


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

I stared; where had she come from? How had she known exactly where to find us?

Kagura took my distraction as the perfect time to attack. Next thing I knew, I was stumbling backward into the doorway. When I regained my composure, Kagura was nearly on me. I grabbed for tetsusaiga and swung wide. Kagura jumped back and I sliced through air. She opened her fan, the sharp tips gleaming. She yelled something and razors of wind came slashing towards me. I dove out of the way and a gaping hole was made in the hut. I was momentarily torn between getting Miroku and Sango out of there and not turning my back to Kagura.

I shouted at Kagome to help the other two and continued to slash at Kagura, but she was able to jump out of the way with blinding speed every time. I glanced back to check on Kagome, who had just made it to the doorway but with Kikyou trying to stop her. I dove out of the way just in time to avoid some nasty cuts from Kagura's fan.

I heard some yelling from within the hut as I fought Kagura. I recognized Sango's voice, and Kikyou's. Suddenly, Sango emerged from the doorway, weapons in hand. Despite the cuts on her face and a bad gash on her shoulder, she looked determined to fight. Seconds later, a bedraggled Miroku was at her side, his face set in a scowl.

But no Kagome.

"Sango!" I called, making my way towards her. She met my eyes and nodded in understanding. I made a move towards the hut and Sango leaped into action, fighting Kagura in my place.

Entering the hut, I spotted Kagome sitting on the ground where Miroku and Sango had been previously, her hand clutching her side weakly as she got to her feet. I rushed towards her, but was halted when I heard my name called. I looked up and had only time to meet Kikyou's enraged eyes before she released her arrow.

It came streaking towards me, and I anguished at the light that surrounded it; her purifying powers. I ducked and felt it singe part of my hair before embedding into the wall. When I looked up, Kikyou almost looked worried, like she hadn't expected me to move quickly enough.

So there it was. Kikyou wanted me dead. I'm not sure why I was surprised, but as soon as that passed, hatred and anger made me pull a knife from my boot and dive at her, knocking her to the ground. She struggled under my weight for a few moments beofre realizing it was futile; I was much too strong for her.

I pressed the blade into her neck, and she squeezed her eyes shut before focusing on my face.

"I thought you loved me," she said, a weak attempt to distract me.

"I never loved you," I said quietly, pressing the knife a bit harder against her neck. I reached under the neck of her shirt and grabbed the chain, yanking hard. I tucked it into my pocket.

"You may have been stubborn," she said, her eyes shining, "but you were never cruel."

I smiled, harsh and unfeeling. "Things change."

I hit her hard in the temple with the butt of my knife, and she fell unconscious. I gave her a last, long look, then turned and grabbed Kagome.

"Time to to get the hell out of here," I said into her ear.

She nodded. "They'll need some help if we're going to get rid of her," she said, motioning towards Kagura.

I made a quick plan of attacking Kagura from behind. Dirty fighting, but I didn't really care when Kagome's life might have been at stake.

I removed tetsusaiga, and made my way carefully around the clearing, to a spot where Kagura couldn't see me. I swung the massive sword, and was surprised when a bright light came out of it and carved a path to Kagura. By the time she turned, it was too late; an awful screech came out of her, and she clutched at her shoulder in shock. She was drenched in blood on her right side and she tried desperately to staunch the bleeding, but the gash ran from her shoulder to her waist.

Her head whipped up, eyes as red as her blood glaring at me. "You _disgusting half-breed!_" she growled. She ran to Kikyou as quickly as she could, grabbed one of her feathers from her hair, and they disappeared into the sky.

I walked with Kagome to Miroku and Sango. We all looked a bit worse for wear, but at least we were all alive.

"We need to get back to Kaede," Sango said grimly. We all nodded in agreement.

Kagome looked worried. "What if they come back?"

"Don't count on it. Kagura may not be human, but there's no way she can heal that quickly," I said.

"But Naraku has others he could send," she pointed out.

"I dont know of any others that can fly like that, though," I argued.

Miroku interrupted, "If we get going now, then it will at least take them a while to find us, if there are others coming."

With that, we started back in the direction Kagome and I had come from. After a couple hours, it was getting darker by the minute, and it was Sango who suggested we make camp for the night, while looking worriedly at Miroku, who was unusually pale.

We built up a fire and Kagome gathered a few leaves that everyone would use as pillows. Except me, of course, as I planned on sleeping up in a tree. Or maybe I wouldn't sleep at all. Someone had to keep watch, after all.

When we had all settled around the fire, Kagome complained that she was hungry.

"You should've thought of that earlier," I said.

"Well, not all of us can go for days without eating, Inuyasha," she said sharply.

I had nothing to say to that.

Silence. More silence.

"How did you know that the jewel was what we were looking for?" Kagome asked, breaking the silence. She looked over the fire at Miroku and Sango curiously.

"I've actually read about it before," Sango said. "I was shocked when I saw it; the man who sold it to us didn't even seem to know what it was. He would've charged much more if he had."

"Oh," Kagome said. She looked at her hands, an almost sad expression on her face. "I didn't realize I could ever have owned something so important.

I wanted to comfort her then, to wrap her in my arms, but something was holding me back. Instinct, perhaps, that she needed her own space.

Sango smiled ruefully. "I just wish we could have gotten it back from that bitch."

I scrunched my brows at that. I could feel the weight of the jewel in my pocket, but it was hard to bring myself to take it out. There was a strange pull to keep it that I couldn't identify.

But I did it. I slowly reached into my pocket, hoping none of them noticed my actions, and rolled the small purple orb between my fingers and watched the firelight glint off of it.

I cleared my throat. "Well, your wish came true," I said, holding it up for everyone to see.

Kagome gasped. I slowly lowered it, examined it once more, and held it out to her. I stared at her face until she met my eyes. "I believe this is yours."

Wordlessly, she reached out a small hand and I dropped it into her palm. Her fingers closed around it immediately and she closed her eyes. She brought her fisted hand to her chest.

As I watched her, a strange feeling came over me. Something just didn't feel right about this.

But I stared as Kagome, eyes squeezed shut, clutched her jewel. I stared at her hands, and was confused when her knuckles slowly turned white. I was about to say something when her eyes sprang open wide.

She said just two whispered words: "I remember."

* * *

**A/N:** So, I seem to be having issues with length today. It's this stupid OpenOffice throwing me off. Anyway...

Almost done! Yay! I estimate like...three more chapters. IF I can get back to doing like six/seven pages per chapter. Or 2,500+ words, if you prefer that measurement.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N:** Okay. This story has taunted me for long enough. Time to crack down and finish it.

If something sounds weird or my editing isn't the greatest for half of this, I'm sorry. I had a cold when I wrote some of it, so my head was a little screwy.

**Chapter 33**

Kagome's memories were back.

We were in the middle of nowhere, isolated from civilization for the time being.

Naraku was after us. We had the jewel. Once he hacked into Kagome's memories again, he would know this, and there were no guarantees we could keep it from him.

All in all, it was not the best situation to be in.

I was sitting in front of the dying fire while the others slept. It would be morning soon, if the gradual lightening of the sky wasn't just in my imagination. All this time to think, and the only things going through my mind were these:

Kagome had her memories back.

We were in the middle of nowhere.

Naraku was after us.

These played in my head on a loop. I didn't know what to do about any of these things. I knew we had to get to Kaede, but would we make it there before Naraku found us? And what was my aversion to Kagome having her jewel back? She'd been fighting to find it for years, almost died in the process. I should be happy for her.

Right?

But then there was the thing Sango said, about how important the jewel was. _Why_ was it important? What could it do that made Naraku so insane about acquiring it?

I sighed. The loop began again.

Kagome had her memories back…

* * *

Kagome awoke first. She blinked at me sleepily before sitting up and stretching. She stared at the charred bits of firewood in front of her. Then her hand slowly reached up and grasped the jewel, which hung around her neck. Her expression was unreadable, her eyes far away.

I frowned. I wanted to snatch that thing away from her. Something about it made me wary.

Not long after Kagome, Sango awakened and checked on Miroku. He still seemed off. She watched him helplessly. I could tell she wished they were back on the ship, where she had access to her supplies. She probably knew some weird concoction to make him magically better.

The sky was a dull gray. We decided it was best to get going before the sun got much higher. I made Kagome hop on my back, and Sango supported Miroku. It would be slow going, but it was better than causing our friends further injury.

Kagome toyed with my hair as we went. I could hear Sango and Miroku whispering to each other behind us, but I pretended not to hear. I kept my eyes moving, listening carefully for any sounds that seemed suspicious.

After a couple hours of this, I was able to pick up noises from the town. We were almost there.

As we made our way through the thinning trees, Kagome whispered something to me.

"What was it like?" she asked me.

"What?" I said, uncomprehending.

"Seeing her again," she said somberly. "What was it like?"

I didn't have to ask who she was talking about. I sighed.

"I dunno," I said, though that wasn't really true. "Just…strange."

"Did it…" She stopped, tension in her voice. I could nearly feel the extreme curiosity pouring off of her.

"Go on," I said, albeit reluctantly.

"Um…" She hesitated once more, then continued. "Did it bring up any…feelings? From the past?"

"If you mean anger, then definitely," I retorted…evasively.

She tugged a bit of my hair in annoyance. "You know what I mean."

I thought for a moment. I'd actually told that woman I'd never really loved her. Should I share that with Kagome? Or would that bring up a whole new set of questions that I really didn't want to answer?

"No," I said finally. "Not at all."

"Oh," she said quietly. She sounded mollified. At least for the moment.

By the time this conversation had finished, I could see buildings. Just a short walk to Kaede's, and Kagome would be rid of this thing forever—

But wait. Kagome wouldn't want to give it up, would she? I couldn't force her to just because the thing gave me some weird, freaked-out feelings.

I groaned inwardly. My life, the eternally maddening.

Well, anyway, we made it to Kaede's quickly enough, with minimal staring from those charming townies. I guess I couldn't blame them. A half-demon and three humans randomly emerging from this crazy forest, half of them nearly dead from injury, exhaustion, hunger, etc. I hated to imagine what we looked like to an outsider. It had to be a little halting, to say the least.

Kaede was saying goodbye to a patient wearing a sling on his arm when we reached her. She was a bit startled, but at the same time, she seemed to have expected nothing less from us. She rushed to help Miroku inside to occupy the little bed, and ordered me to check Kagome's bandages.

Kagome taken care of, I moved to check on Sango, who had been able to wrap some of her wounds the night before. She had still lost quite a bit of blood; I was surprised she'd been able to hold up Miroku, let alone herself, during that whole journey.

Kaede gave me the disinfectant and Kagome and I carefully helped Sango. Sango made this slightly more difficult by refusing to leave Miroku's side, which made part of the hut rather crowded.

Kaede determined that Miroku appeared to have a sizeable bump on his head, and may have a mild brain injury that would heal in a week or two, as long as he got enough rest. Sango was so relieved I thought she might cry, which begs the question: When did she and Miroku get so close?

Perhaps we should have chaperoned their nights at the hotel together. Hm.

Either way, I didn't really care, as long as no one was dying.

* * *

Finally, after everyone had rested and eaten, the subject of the jewel was brought up. By me.

"Kagome, are you going to share your jewel with the old lady?" I asked. I was a bit agitated that it was taking so long to get that thing away from her.

Kagome turned to Kaede. She carefully brought the necklace over her head and allowed Kaede to look more closely.

"My word," Kaede said. "I knew it existed, but on this very island?"

"So you know what it is?" Kagome asked tentatively. She hadn't ever known what the jewel did, even before she lost her memories. It had been a gift from her grandfather.

"I certainly do," replied Kaede, turning the jewel in her fingers. "You would do well not to share this with others very easily."

Kaede returned the jewel to Kagome's waiting palm. Her thin fingers wrapped around it carefully. I watched as she stared at her fisted hand, almost trance-like in her gazing. This caused a twinge of anxiety to shoot through me.

As I glanced around, I noticed Kaede was also watching Kagome, a solemn look on her face. Did she feel it too? Did she know there was something bad about that damned thing? She met my eyes briefly, and something in her bright, old face told me we had to do something.

I cleared my throat. After a moment, Kagome looked at me. "Now that we're all safe for the time being, I think we should discuss what to do with that jewel—"

Kagome cut in, "What do you mean, what we should _do_ with it? I'm going to keep it, of course!"

"Kagome," I said cautiously, "I really don't feel like that's a good idea…"

"Well, that's fine and all," she said, a strange fierceness in her eyes, "but that's not your decision to make."

"Would you just think about it, just for a minute—"

"_Don't_," she interrupted angrily, "tell me what to do, Inuyasha."

"Kagome, I'm not forcing you, I just think we need to consider…" I stopped; she wasn't listening.

"Why are you trying to ruin this for me?" she asked unhappily. Was I imagining this, or—were those really _tears_ in her eyes?

I sighed, trying to hold on to my thinly-worn patience, but she was acting differently, not at all like the Kagome I knew, and I had myself convinced it was because of the jewel she still gripped tightly in her fist; it seemed as though she held it this way now because she thought I might try to take it.

When I had just about given up on her for the night, Kaede spoke up: "Kagome, I must agree with Inuyasha."

Kagome glared. "Are you all ganging up on me now?" she asked bitterly.

Kaede had more patience than I did; she cast a measured stare at Kagome, who seemed to be going through more mood-swings than any of us had ever seen her have.

"It is simply for your own good, child," Kaede finally said.

"No it's not!" cried Kagome. "How could taking away this thing that has been so important to me for so long _possibly_ help me?"

"You don't see what it's doing to you," I told her gently. I turned in surprise when Sango voiced her agreement; she and Miroku had been so silent, I'd forgotten they were still here.

"I've known you nearly half my life, Kagome," Sango said. "And in all that time, I've never seen you act as strangely as you've been acting since we recovered that jewel."

Kagome had tears brimming in her eyes. She looked at all of us, her expression more and more hopeless and disbelieving.

"I thought you all cared about me," she said, her voice catching as she held back a sob.

Sango spoke before I could. "We do! And this is our way of showing it. I think it's time you did something with that."

"_No_!" Kagome said frantically. "You _can't_ make me! _It's mine_!"

And with that, she surprised us all by jumping to her feet and darting out of the hut. I rose to go after her as soon as I realized what had happened, but I was stopped by Kaede. Sango and Miroku looked out the doorway apprehensively, but stayed still at Kaede's word.

Kaede looked me square in the eyes, her face serious. "The jewel is an unspeakably powerful thing, one that should not be in the hands of any one person. It must be destroyed. You must convince young Kagome of this, or else she will be lost from you forever. The jewel will make her mad with incredible power. You must save her before it takes her over. Quickly now—go!"

I jumped up, but Sango asked, "But _how_ can we destroy it?"

"I'm afraid that's something you must learn on your own," replied Kaede regretfully.

We stared at her in shock before remembering we needed to find Kagome, quick. She was still recovering, so she couldn't have made it far yet.

Sango and I exited Kaede's hut, leaving Miroku to rest. We agreed to split up, so we could cover more ground. I could still smell Kagome, but it took some concentration to find the freshest remnant of her; we'd been here so much that her scent was saturating the whole area, as well as many of the streets. I sprinted in the direction that seemed the most promising, hoping that nothing had happened to her during the five minute head-start she'd had.

I was running down one of the streets we had often traveled recently when something brought me up short. What was that? I could hear something off, and I would've sworn that smell was familiar…

I looked around anxiously, not liking this confusion one bit. I walked a few more steps forward, cautious. And then, not knowing how I sensed it, just knowing that something was very off and about to get worse _right now_, I spun around, just in time to have something make a strong impact with my chest.

I stumbled back, falling to the ground. _What the hell was that?_

I looked up and saw a young boy racing towards me. He couldn't be older than ten or eleven; I had a feeling I'd seen him before, on Naraku's ship. He had fair hair and pale, almost sickly skin. He was so scrawny I was surprised he'd been able to knock me down.

And then I noticed how incredibly fast he was. Like, faster than _me_ fast. He had to be with Naraku, because he was definitely not a demon and no human could possibly accomplish that.

While I wasted time thinking about all this, he'd sprinted back towards me, about to attack again. I reached for Tetsusaiga, bringing it out just in time to swing wide, causing the kid to jump away without missing a beat. Recovering in a fraction of a second, he was dashing towards me once again. I growled in exasperation.

Just as I was taking stance to defend myself, He turned off to the left and disappeared around the street corner. I straightened up and stared after him, confused. And then—

"_No!_" came the shriek of a familiar voice. Kagome!

I ran to find her, and when I turned the corner, I saw that the kid had Kagome tightly by the wrist and was reaching for the jewel hanging from her neck. Kagome was struggling and crying and pleading for him not to take it. She looked at me and her eyes begged me to help her.

As quietly as possible, I crept up behind the boy and got ready to hit him. Right as I was behind him, he froze and turned, glaring at me. Dropping Kagome's wrist—which, I noted with irritation, had a bright red mark on it now—he ran off so quickly he was nothing but a pale blur. I went to Kagome, who was sitting helplessly on the ground, still crying.

I sighed, walking to her. "What the hell, Kagome?" I said angrily. "Are you crazy? You can't just go running off like that."

She looked up at me slowly with round, shiny eyes, her lips trembling. "What do you care anyway?" she asked, her voice raspy. "You're not on my side."

"Of course I am!" I exclaimed. "How can you think that?"

"You want me to get rid of it!" she screeched.

"It's for your own good!"

"Did you ever stop and think maybe I could look out for myself? Huh?" she demanded. And then, more quietly, "I would know if this jewel was bad."

I laughed in disbelief. "You still don't see it."

"See what?" she asked miserably.

I looked at her for a long moment. "Think about it, Kagome. Just for a minute. Do you feel like yourself? You sure aren't acting like it."

"I…" She paused, looking at the jewel she held protectively in her hand. "Well, maybe a little different—no! I feel perfectly fine. Except for the fact that all my friends have turned on me." She glowered at me.

Anger sparked in me. "Well, fine, Kagome," I snapped. "Do whatever the hell you want. When you die—or worse, when Naraku gets his hands on you, just remember that we all warned you." I started to walk away, knowing I was making a mistake but too frustrated to care, but she called out to me.

"Wait!" She scrambled to her feet when I turned around, my arms crossed. "You're just going to let him take me?"

I eyed her for a moment. "I thought you could look out for yourself?"

"I don't have any weapons, Inuyasha! And, if you'll remember, I'm still injured!" she said. I tried not to flinch at the accusing tone of voice. "You honestly think I can do this on my own?"

"I already told you that I don't think that," I said. "But I'm not going to help you if you're just going to keep accusing me of wanting to hurt you."

She narrowed her eyes at me, but still took a few steps forward. "Fine."

"We need to find Sango now," I said.

"Where is she?"

"Looking for you," I told her.

Kagome looked at the ground. "Oh."

As we made our way down to the streets, I heard our names called. I looked behind me to see Sango jogging towards us. She was carrying weapons.

"There you are," she said, breathing heavily. "I went back to the ship to get some stuff."

She offered me a sword, and when I pulled it out of its sheath slightly, I saw it had colors swirling in it. I raised a brow at her.

"Just in case," she said, shrugging. "And…I also had an idea I'd like to share with you." She eyed Kagome warily.

I caught the hint; neither of us really trusted that Kagome wouldn't overreact to everything we said. I took a step forward and she whispered to me.

"Maybe these can destroy it," she said. "But I don't know how we'll have the chance to try it."

"What if Kagome has to be the one to do it?"

Sango frowned. "We might be shit outta luck then."

We both glanced at Kagome, who was distracted by something in a store window. She idly slid her fingers over the smooth surface of the jewel. Sango and I exchanged a look.

Kagome looked at us. "What are you two whispering about over there?"

"Just discussing where to go now," Sango lied.

Kagome raised a brow suspiciously. "And why is that a secret?"

"It's not," I said quickly. "Where would you like to go, Kagome?"

"It would be nice to get some clean clothes from the ship," she said slowly. "Who's with Miroku?"

"Kaede," Sango replied. "I was going to go back and keep him company for a little while, though."

Kagome nodded. "Go ahead. You're wounds feel alright?" Sango nodded. "Inuyasha and I should get going. We'll meet you later."

Sango met my eyes quickly before turning and heading back to the edge of town. I glanced at Kagome as we walked towards the pier. She'd gone back to herself, for the most part. Probably because we weren't arguing anymore. But there was still a cautiousness about her words and the way she held herself; she didn't trust me.

I suppose I couldn't blame her.

* * *

**A/N:** Phew! That took forever to finish!

I will try to get the next one done within a couple weeks, but I've got lots of stuff to do for finals. I apologize for the wait (again). You guys have been so kind to keep up with my erratic updates for this beast, and it's a weird feeling that it's coming to an end. But there are many stories to come, and I hope you'll read them!

Please review! Thanks!


	34. Chapter 34

**Note of Explanation:** No, you're not dreaming. Yes, this is ridiculously delayed. Yes, I AM a busy almost-college student who is working like crazy so that I can buy myself important things, like food, when I move away from home in a month and a half.

Surprised? Overjoyed? Annoyed? All of the above? Basically I'm trying to say SORRY this took so long.

A little over a year ago, I had this chapter half-written _perfectly_ (in my opinion) when my hard drive decided to crap out. I was really bummed that I had to lose the first half that I had already written of this chapter since the Geek Squad couldn't save _anything_, not a single document. Hopefully I can recapture what I originally had in mind for it, since I loved how it turned out.

* * *

**Chapter 34**

Black splotched my vision. Dark, roiling sky blurred and something wet and cold dripped onto my skin. _Rain_, my brain told me.

My eyes rolled in my head as I tried to take in my surroundings. I couldn't get my neck to work. Then I heard something, my ears straining against all the noise that made no sense to me.

"_Inuyasha_!" someone was screeching. "_Please! Inuyasha, wake up!_"

It sounded like…Kagome? I was awake…wasn't I? I tried to speak but only air wheezed past my cracked lips, followed by gurgling and some very painful coughing that may have made me lose consciousness for a moment. Not of my own accord, my eyes squeezed shut and tears slid down my temples.

I felt something tickle my face. My eyes cracked open and, though it took some time and effort, landed on Kagome. Her dirty, tear-streaked face hovered over me, hair hanging around her face in a dark halo, her gray eyes shining with even more tears pushing to be released. One dripped off her cheek and landed on mine. I tried to reach up and remove the wetness from her face and tell her everything was just fine, but I couldn't feel my arms.

A hand, crusted with blood, came into view and swiped at Kagome, and I began to protest at this violation of her space by whoever the stranger was. But Kagome reached out and guided the hand to cup her cheek lovingly, and then I realized it was mine.

My arm suddenly felt very heavy and my hand started to slip away so Kagome released it, and a bloody streak remained on her skin. I grimaced and opened my mouth to ask whose blood that was. Instead, I coughed and cringed at the severe protesting in my stomach and ribs.

"Shh," she whispered, voice hitching, and more tears fell to make tracks through the blood. "Don't try to talk right now. You'll be okay, Inuyasha, I promise. Just keep your eyes open, baby, please, just keep your eyes open."

I was confused by her words. What had happened? Why did I feel like I was d—…ah crap, _was_ I dying? Was that _my_ blood on her stricken face? My head throbbed and I let my eyes slip closed.

"No!" Kagome gasped and her cool fingers were on my face, probing, checking for signs that I was still conscious. I cracked them back open to appease her. She let out a breath. "Don't close your eyes! You have to stay awake, Inuyasha. You have to stay with me."

My eyes rolled to focus on her face once more. I felt her fingers move away to gingerly inspect something near my midsection. She lowered her fingers to my skin and a pang of pain shot through me. When she saw my wince, she snatched her hand away from me as though I'd burned her. I tried to lift my head to inspect the damage, but I got a head rush and set it back down with a dizzying _thud_.

"Why are you so stupid all the time, huh?" Kagome asked me, but with a tender note in her voice. "I told you to wait for me so we could fight Naraku together. It's always worked better that way…"

I knew that her reasoning was wrong, but I had a hard time remembering why. Hell, I could barely remember fighting Naraku this time, let alone all the other times.

In my reverie, the noises around me began to have more meaning. I could hear yells and moans of pain. _Dying men…_I supposed that included me as well. I must've been making some noise too, but my own ears felt submerged underwater, giving everything a weird muffled quality. I thought I could pick out Miroku's voice approaching me and Kagome. Errantly, I wondered where I was. I could feel swaying, so I knew I was still on a ship…but whose?

As my brain was bombarded with unwanted questions, I felt a darkness trying to take hold of me. I knew Kagome wanted me to stay awake, but giving in seemed much more comfortable. I felt certain that in the darkness I would feel no more pain.

Trying to send a silent apology to Kagome, my eyes slipped closed and I retreated into the heavy curtain of black.

* * *

"Inuyasha, I just need a few minutes to myself," Kagome huffed. She glared at me. "_Alone_."

"I don't think so," I said. Like I could possibly leave her alone with her thoughts, in this state? Not gonna happen.

She let out something akin to a growl. I stared at her in disbelief. Kagome had actually _growled_ at me. She pointed an angry finger at my chest.

"You do not get to decide what I can or cannot do, Inuyasha!" she screeched. "Now _leave me alone_!"

She stormed into her cabin and slammed the door before I could say another word. I huffed in frustration and stomped over to her room, trying the handle. She'd locked it. I pounded my fist against the wood.

"Kagome, come on!" I yelled through the door. "Let me in!"

I listened for a moment, and froze when I heard the unmistakable click of a gun. "Kagome?"

The door swung open and I was staring down the barrel of the gun she usually wore at her hip. I put my hands up reflexively. The gun was so close to my face that my eyes crossed when I looked at it.

"Kagome," I said slowly, "you just need a minute to calm down—"

"_Do not_," she hissed, "tell me to calm down."

She took a predatory step forward. I noticed a slight shake in her arm, but her aim at my head stayed true. I took a step back.

"I tried to tell you nicely that I need some time to think," she said, her voice deathly calm. "But would you listen? Of course not! Because you _never_ listen to me, Inuyasha. I've been trying to tell you all damn day that I am _fine_, but you refuse to accept that. Why?"

I swallowed dryly before I spoke. "Because you're not fine," I told her. "You've changed, Kagome. So much. You are not the same girl that got off this ship, or even the same one that decided to hold me prisoner all those years ago. And whether you like it or not, it's because of that jewel around your neck."

She glared at me for another moment before her face crumpled a little and she looked at me pityingly. "Maybe this is who I really am," she said quietly, her voice breaking. "Maybe this version of me that you hate so much is the real Kagome and the one you loved was fake. Either way, that girl is gone. She was weak and lost. She was _pathetic_. But me? I'm powerful with this jewel. I know exactly who I am and what I want."

"The girl I _loved_? You say it like it would be possible—_easy_, even—to ever stop loving you." I shook my head. "I don't believe you. You weren't pathetic. You knew what you wanted—you told me yourself once. Love, family, _life_…and I can give you all those things, Kagome. I _want_ to give you all those things, but you aren't letting me."

Her eyes were shiny, her face conflicted, like she wanted to listen to me but something inside her wasn't letting her. The heat of anger washed through me and I boldly lifted a hand to push her gun down. She let me do it with little resistance. She looked at the ground.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, and I could tell from her voice she was trying not to cry. "Why can't you just let me be this way? Can't you see I want to be like this? I _like_ this new version of myself. And if you really loved me, you would just stop arguing and let me be happy."

"Are you happy?" I demanded. "Because you don't sound like it, and you sure as hell don't look happy."

I grabbed her chin gently and made her look at me. "Couldn't you just…take the jewel off for a couple minutes?" I asked, practically begging. "Just to see? If you really, truly aren't happy without it, I won't fight you anymore. I'll even leave and never bother you again…if that's what you want."

Each word of the last sentence cut through me like a knife. The prospect of leaving her—_again_—was almost too painful to even think of, but I could make myself do it if I believed that's what she wanted.

She sighed shakily, eyes roaming over my face. Silence stretched and I grew more and more nervous. Finally she rolled her eyes at me and muttered, "Fine, but just for a minute."

We went into her cabin and she took the jewel from around her neck, holding it over the table. She hesitated, then carefully laid it down and released it. She took a step back, her eyes still glued to the swirling sphere. I watched her face for any changes in demeanor.

After about thirty seconds, she looked at me and shrugged. "No changes. Oh well," she said quickly and took a step forward.

"Wait!" I shouted as her hand hovered over the jewel. She looked at me. I was desperate now. "Maybe—you weren't far enough away from it. And you barely waited any time. If we step outside, you can get some fresh air and—out of sight, out of mind, right?"

She let out a gusty sigh and dropped her hand to her side, stepping around the table towards the door. "Fine, but I don't think that will…"

She trailed off as we got outside and I closed the door behind us. She inhaled deeply and when she turned around to face me, I could see something had changed. I released a heavy sigh of relief, my heart pounding in my chest, and I cupped her face in my hands. Her fingers curled around my wrists gently.

"What—what _happened_?" she asked, her wide eyes blinking up at me. "I—I've been so confused, Inuyasha." She glanced around quickly, then back to me with a startled, slightly frightened expression. "We're back on the ship? I…can barely remember how we got here."

I leaned my forehead against hers. "I was so scared," I whispered, feeling embarrassed at admitting that but too relieved to care. "I thought I had lost you—the real you—and if you didn't come back, I would have had to leave again and I don't think I could've—"

"Shh, Inuyasha, slow down," she interrupted me. "I'm here. You could never lose me, you know that. And what's this talk about leaving? You promised me—"

"That's not important," I said hastily. "What's important is that your head is cleared and everything is back to normal…well, as normal as it gets around here."

She smiled at me. I leaned in to kiss her, just real quick, when we were interrupted by someone yelling, "Captain! Captain!"

She whipped her head around and quickly stepped back from me. I sighed, my hands still held up in the shape of her face. I dropped them to my sides reluctantly.

Kagome looked to the young man who had called for her with her eyebrows raised in question. The expression on the kid's face was terrified.

"It's him, Captain," he huffed out. Kagome's face darkened. "It's Naraku."

After that, everything was a flurry of activity. Kagome was shouting orders to the members on the crew that were on board the ship, and sent the young man to find the others in town.

There was a sense of finality in the air, the sharp anticipation of the coming battle. This would decide everything. We would either defeat Naraku or he would defeat us; either way, I knew there was no way I would be getting out of this alone. No matter what happened, I would go wherever Kagome did.

And I would fight like hell to make sure we were the ones who came out of it alive.

With these thoughts running through my mind, I silently made my way to the hold, where I knew Sango's special weapons were kept. I glanced around once more to see if Kagome had spotted me before descending the stairs.

If I had my way, Naraku would be dead and cold by the time Kagome even made it across to his ship.

* * *

It had almost been too easy—shoving knives into my boots, a pistol into my belt, and the largest, heaviest sword I could find slid neatly into the holster at my hip, next to Tetsusaiga. Fleetingly, I wondered if my own sword would be able to do any damage to him. I'd have to test out that theory, if I had an opening.

I waited behind some crates of spare supplies until I heard others pounding down the stairs. I picked out Kagome's scent among them. She was talking to someone—Sango. I dared a peek at where they were, then I quickly jerked back at the sound of my name.

"Have you seen Inuyasha?" Kagome was asking. "He just disappeared on me."

"No, I haven't," Sango replied. "Hopefully he's not off doing anything stupid."

Kagome rolled her eyes in Sango's direction. "Knowing him, that's exactly what he's doing."

Sango laughed in agreement and by then they were sufficiently geared up, and they were the last ones to leave the hold. As their light footsteps faded up the stairs, I released the breath I'd been holding and slowly made my way towards the top of the stairs. I listened carefully for the sound of the approaching ship.

I was able to time things almost perfectly. As soon as the noise on deck began to rise, I peeked out and saw the ominous ship, still too far for anyone to swing over. Suddenly, a loud sound rang out and Kagome's ship rocked furiously. They'd already hit us with a cannon ball, I realized.

Too far for any of Kagome's crew to get over, but not too far for someone like me—with a little extra power behind my jumps. I sprinted to the edge of the ship, pausing enough to land a foot on the railing, and launched towards Naraku's ship.

I landed with a light thud, and had the ridiculous good fortune of not being immediately noticed by any crew members. I just had time to duck beneath a set of nearby stairs that led up to the captain's cabin and the helm when a familiar figure rounded the corner.

_Kagura_.

The witch I had nearly killed once. I would've finished her off but she did her goofy feather trick and was sky high before I processed that she was escaping. I suppressed a growl, my fist clenching around the hilt of Tetsusaiga.

I could take her out right now, so easily. I could slice her throat—hell, I could slice her whole fucking _head_ off—and she wouldn't know what hit her until it was too late. I took an anticipatory step forward.

What was she even doing? She didn't appear to have any real purpose, just standing there. I inched my sword out of its sheath, already feeling the power thrumming through it, surging up my arm and settling in my bones.

Just as I took a quick step forward, swinging my arm around, she froze, then whipped around to look at me. A gust of wind blew from her direction, making my stumble, and she let out a chuckle.

"Still as predictable as ever, hm?" she taunted, her words drawn out. She held a fan in front of her face, the tips of each fold glinting with razors.

"You left yourself open," I pointed out, annoyed. "Can you really blame a guy for trying?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "I can when he's attacking the wrong person," she hissed. She took a step forward. "_Idiot_! You think I want to fight _for_ Naraku?"

Now I was thoroughly confused. Did she really just say that?

"Uh, yeah," I replied. "Since you're on his ship and once _attacked me_ and all, it's a pretty easy conclusion to make."

"Well, things are very different now," she said in a low voice. Her eyes flickered upwards, toward the captain's cabin. She seemed suddenly nervous, urgency shining in her eyes. "Look, kid, I won't attack you if you don't attack me. Got it? Naraku thinks he _owns_ me—and the sick part is that _he does_. But that's all going to change after today."

I stammered to reply when suddenly, with a flourish, she was gone and I was left standing in the shadows, puzzling over the fact that I maybe, kind of, sort of had an ally over here. Who'd have thought?

Following that thought, the cackling started. In my head. And it was _not me_.

_Naraku_.

* * *

Once upon a time, I was an _idiot_.

Like, a majorly huge doofus. You don't find fucktards like me too often.

Why?

Because I thought I could fight a freaking uber-powerful demon by myself with a handful of weapons and _live_.

Me, the awkward little half-demon that barely has any concept of my abilities, let alone my limitations, and therefore do not realize when I am making an incredibly stupid decision, like the aforementioned idiocy.

And why don't I realize it?

Because I'm in love. It makes idiots out of all of us. Especially me. But that's life I guess. Or, in my case, that's death.

Because me? I'm freaking dying right now. Naraku, the uber-powerful demon? Just gutted me like it was nothing. Barely had to lift a finger.

My only consolation is that I at least got a few good hits in before he did it. So he's bleeding and injured too, only not in the same way I am. As in, lying on the ground, seeing stars that aren't actually there, and feeling pain. Lots and _lots_ of pain.

My point: I should've waited for Kagome instead of trying to take care of this on my own.

These moments of clarity only come after the fact, it seems.

And now that I've managed to realize my mistakes, I think it's time to take a little nap. Yes, a nap sounds quite nice…

* * *

Ow. Ow. Ow. _Ow_. _Fucking ow_, dammit, who the fuck is moving me?

I felt a growl rumble through my chest, which I didn't do on purpose and which also hurt, but what didn't?

I could feel hands on me, prodding me, making things hurt more than was _necessary_, dammit. Noises were everywhere, blurring together beyond recognition. Probably they were voices.

I was set down somewhat unceremoniously on the ground, forcing a grunt out of me, and I heard a sharp sound above the rest. A sound I would recognize anywhere, even in death. Kagome.

Suddenly, everything came into focus.

"Would you be more careful?" Kagome snapped. "Can't you see he's already in enough pain? The least you could do is not _drop him_, idiots!"

A few grunts of apology. The air felt heavy around me—probably there were a lot of people surrounding me.

Kagome came to my rescue. "Back up! How do you expect him to breathe with you stinky men crowding him?"

Shuffling noises, the sound of footsteps fading. It would be really useful to have use of my eyes. Or my voice, that would be even better. Complaining just wasn't the same without others to hear it.

Fingers were prodding me again. A familiar smell—Kaede?

Maybe there was still hope for me, if I'd made it this far.

Then Kaede did something—splashed some sort of liquid into my wounds—and the burning pain was so bad I would have doubled over, if I were standing, and probably let out quite a few choice words.

It made me feel like dying was probably not such a bad option. But what do I know? We've already established that I'm an idiot.

Cool fingers rubbed at my temples, over my forehead, down my cheeks, which helped me calm down a bit. I hadn't realized until then that I needed calming down. Kagome always was smarter than I was.

More of the burning, sharp-smeling liquid was poured over my wounds, and this time I blacked out.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so kind of all over the place, but that's the point! You have to piece together what's going on based solely on our (somewhat unreliable) narrator's point of view! That's the beauty of first-person, muahaha! I don't know, what did you think? I kind of had fun with it, once I got past my anger at losing the original version of it. I tried to throw in a little humor to break up the angsty-ness for you. I hope you enjoyed, and I tried to make it extra long compared to usual…think of it as a present for Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate) in July!

If you have stuck with me through this long (long, long, LONG) journey, I thank you so very much with all of my heart, you beautiful, wonderful people. I'm sorry I'm not better at being frequent about this stuff. It's coming to a close—I'll try to wrap everything up next chapter.


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